Jane Prentice (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was delighted to visit the Queensland Brain Institute at the University of Queensland this month for a guided tour of their state-of-the-art Centre for Ageing Dementia Research. I must thank Professor Perry Bartlett, a very distinguished scientist in the field of cellular and molecular neuroscience, a fellow of the Australian Academy of Science and the Director of QBI. I also thank Professor Jurgen Gotz, Director of the institute's Centre for Ageing Dementia Research.

Alzheimer's can have a debilitating effect on sufferers and their families. With Australia's ageing population, deaths attributed to Alzheimer's disease increased by 66 per cent between 2000 and 2008 and the disease is now the third leading cause of death in Australia. Australia faces a very grim future in dealing with the effects of dementia, 70 per cent of which is caused by Alzheimer's disease. There are currently almost 280,000 Australians living with dementia, a figure that increases by almost 1,600 new cases each week. This already frightening statistic is expected to grow to almost 7,400 new cases each week by 2050.

Currently we do not have any cures or significant preventative measures to deal with this disease. According to Access Economics, increasing funding from $23 million to $49 million per year could save Australia more than $4 trillion. Clearly there is a very urgent need for directed research programs aimed at delivering outcomes to treat and prevent dementia. And we must act now. Unfortunately, this Labor government has failed to provide sufficient funding for symptomatic treatment for mental illness and ageing diseases. The government announced $270 million of spending in the so-called reform of the aged-care system, but has not detailed to Australians how important research into dementia and its effects will be funded.

Since QBI was founded in 2003, the researchers have produced leading edge discoveries. Professors Bartlett and Gotz have been published many times in the leading journals Nature, Journal of Neuroscience, Cell and Neuron, with world-first discoveries in neurogenesis and other ways that pathogenic molecules cause disease. This research is opening up important new therapeutic approaches for disease treatment. Professor Bartlett has worked tirelessly to attract philanthropic investment, so much so that for every dollar received from the Queensland government they have attracted $1.76 in additional investment from other sources. The institute itself has also attracted more than $87 million in additional economic investment to Queensland. Their efforts are to be applauded, but the federal government has not acknowledged QBI's amazing success in fund raising and research. It has not directly given a single cent to CADR. The Minister for Health and Ageing has indicated to the centre that it should apply through the NHMRC process. However, this process does not provide the impetus needed to allow the centre to build capacity in the establishment phase.

I will continue to fight for this issue, as it is absolutely fundamental to the future health of Australians that dementia and Alzheimer's research be made one of the top priorities of research funding. The centre at UQ is the only dedicated centre for age and dementia research in Australia. I fear that, come the end of 2012, without federal government support there will not be a single centre dedicated to Alzheimer's research in this country.