Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Hansard source

The National Broadband Network will boost our prospects for hosting major international scientific projects. Take, for instance, the SKA—the Square Kilometre Array—which is one of the biggest scientific projects of our time. The Square Kilometre Array is a $2.5 billion radio telescope which will expand our astronomers’ potential for discovery by some 10,000 times. Australia has been able to put a joint bid together with New Zealand to host the telescope in Western Australia, and we expect a decision by 2012. To secure this major investment, it is absolutely critical that our ICT infrastructure can support the massive data transport required for the SKA. That is why the Labor government is building that infrastructure as part of the $250 million Regional Backbone Blackspots Program, and we are putting in a crucial fibre-optic link from Perth to Geraldton to allow that to occur. That is also why we are employing businesses and building local skills. (Time expired)