$20M injection to make Far North centre of global tropical research

Cairns: The State’s tropical brainpower, an Alliance headed by James Cook University researchers, will get a $20 million injection to drive far-reaching research into the $US12 trillion tropical living, science and development industry, Premier Anna Bligh said today.

“This team’s work will vary from hunting down new drugs and vaccines to fight tropical diseases such as dengue fever to improving the management and recovery procedures for tropical cyclones,” Ms Bligh said.

“We have the expertise, ever-growing knowledge and the perfect locations and we want to capitalise on this and take it to the tropical world.”

“We’re bringing together tropical researchers under the one umbrella.”

In announcing the new $19.45 Tropical Health Alliance Ms Bligh said the injection was part of a plan to make North Queensland a global hub for tropical economic, social and environmental expertise.

The Q-Tropics – Queensland Tropical Expertise Strategy strategy - a key part of State Government’s Q2 targets of a strong and green Queensland - will establish a $19.45 million Queensland Tropical Health Alliance to be based at James Cook University (JCU) in Townsville and Cairns with an additional laboratory in Brisbane.

v$12 million for new facilities and equipment in Townsville and Cairns JCU campuses

v$5 million fit-out of a new floor in the new QIMR Building in Brisbane

v$2.3 million for a new laboratory and equipment at Griffith University.

v$150,000 for new molecular diagnosis equipment at QUT

“High economic growth in Indian and China and across South East Asia has heralded unprecedented demand for products and services to make living in the tropics easier,” she said.

“Tropical developing countries currently produce approximately US$12 trillion or around one-fifth of Gross World Product. By 2025 their Gross World Product is expected rise to around US$40 trillion.

“With more than 3.3 billion people - almost half the world’s population – the tropics presents us with a brilliant opportunity to become a global hub for tropical economic, social and environmental expertise.

“Queensland is one of the most developed economies in the tropics and is already hard at work undertaking groundbreaking research into tropical science.

“We are already the international focus of research into cures and vaccines for tropical diseases like malaria and dengue fever and for designing houses for living in the tropics without air conditioning.

“Our management and recovery procedures for tropical cyclone’s such as Larry have also become the blueprint for many other cyclone prone regions.

“However we have only just scratched the surface. Q-Tropics is our plan to capture a big slice of this growing market.”

Ms Bligh said the new strategy would build on Queensland’s existing tropical expertise strengths and identify market opportunities with the strategy revolving around four key industry pillars:

·Health

·Environmental management

·Tropical primary industries

·Tropical living

Other measures under the Q-Tropics plan include the establishment of a Q-Tropics Regional Hub to link institutions doing research on tropical expertise and a new tropical science committee led by Chief Scientist, Peter Andrew.

Minister for Tourism, Regional Development and Industry Desley Boyle said tropical living and tropical expertise would be key areas of focus under the strategy.

“Queensland has a wealth of expertise in developing sustainable tropical buildings, developing building materials that could deliver energy efficiencies and withstand cyclones,” she said.

“With World Heritage sites on our doorstep, Queensland has developed world-class skills in accessing and managing extremely fragile and unique eco-systems.

“Queensland already has significant runs on the board in relation to tropical expertise - for example, Queensland Health‘s Tropical Health Population Network and JCU have already developed a lethal trap to help combat dengue fever, “ she said.

Minister Boyle said the development of tropical primary industries would open up new opportunities for Queensland farmers.

vThe Minister also announced a further $305,000 grant to help establish Australia’s first bath sponge farm located at Yorke Island in the Torres Strait.

“Yorke Island’s pristine waters provide the perfect environment for growing sponges and offer great marketing material for sponge products set to bring economic benefits to this community,” she said.

The Minister said Queensland tropical expertise had received international recognition through the Gates Foundation’s $5 million funding of Prof. James Dale’s Better Bananas for Uganda project.

“Trials of pest resistant and nutrient enriched bananas will be planted near Innisfail early next year.

“The genetic engineering of plants to produce better quality products will, under strict controls, open many doors for Queensland farmers and other primary producers.”

Minister’s Office - Marcus Taylor 3225 1005 or 0419 025 326

Queensland Tropical Health Alliance: Professor David Yellowlees: 0438 164 824

Queensland Health’s Tropical Population Health Network: Dr Scott Ritchie: 4050 3619

Yorke Is Community Trust (Kailag Enterprises): Philipa Bauer: 0488515767

Better Bananas for Uganda: Prof Slade Lee: 3138 1661