Australia's scientists and technologists have warmly welcomed the Federal Budget's practical measures to ease immediate cost of living pressures and support those recovering from natural disasters, but warned the country's long-term prosperity depends on future deep investment in the budget-boosting power of STEM research and development.
Science & Technology Australia is the national peak body and the voice of 145 organisations representing more than 235,000 science, technology, engineering, education and mathematics professionals.
"The many practical measures to help Australians announced this evening by Treasurer Jim Chalmers are welcome. In tough economic times Australians need government to step up and put in place measures which will help them. This is a Budget understandably focused on tackling cost of living pressures for Australians," said STA CEO Ryan Winn.
"The Treasurer rightly spoke of the five seismic changes shaping the world - shifts from globalisation to fragmentation, hydrocarbons to renewables, IT to AI, a young population to an older one and in industrial bases, and noted these challenges put a premium on resilience. The answer to all these challenges is deep investment in Australia's STEM capability."
"A strong economy, resilient to global shocks and inflation pressures, is a diverse economy. To wrench our nation out of the cost-of-living rut we find ourselves in and navigate the five seismic changes identified by the Treasurer, we must proactively transition our economy to being knowledge-based and skills-driven, underpinned by a strong R&D sector."
"Similarly, the environmental issues we face require deep, long-term investment in environmental science. New investments in CSIRO to deepen gene-drive research in ways to mitigate the impact of invasive species will help protect Australian wildlife - but it's just one part of the research capability needed to protect our precious biodiversity. We'll need to continue to strengthen and apply that expertise to climate change adaptation and mitigation initiatives - futureproofing our nation."
"We welcome the Government's targeted infrastructure and staffing investments into CSIRO, ANSTO, the National Measurement Institute, the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness and the Square Kilometre Array – these are important measures which support key parts of the nation's science sector."
"Tonight's modest announced measures to strengthen the STEM pipeline in schools are certainly welcome - but small parcels of funding will not address the deep need and enormous growth in Australia's STEM-skilled workforce."
"The next task on the to-do list for Australia is to safeguard the country against long-term economic challenges. For that, we reiterate STA's call to deepen our economic complexity and invest in the education and R&D that will create future industries, and future jobs."
"The current Strategic Examination of R&D, development of a Health and Medical Research Strategy and a new National Research Infrastructure Roadmap are of critical importance in mapping Australia's STEM R&D needs. Together, these must address the urgent imperative to invest deeply to safeguard the nation's future."
