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Don't block
CSIRO move,
says Free
By DAVID MUSSARED,
Science and Environment Reporter
The Minister for Sciep.ce, Ross Free;
has called on the ACT Government not
to try to block the sale of the CSlRO's
Limestone Avenue headquarters.
In a letter to the editor received by The
Canberra Times, Mr Free said the
CSIRO's plan to move its headquarters to
Melbourne "must be supported".
"Those who seek to block the move by
preventing the sale of the Limestone Ave
nue property should reconsider," he said.
"The transfer of up to 35 positions over
three years will go ahead anyway.
"Any blockage of the sale would only
serve to prevent the relocation of the
balance of the staff to Black Mountain,
where it is intended that they should
work more closely with research staff in
improved facilities funded by reinvesting
in CSIRO assets in the ACT."
In the letter, Mr Free said the CSIRO's
decision to move its headquarters to Mel
bourne was "completely logical", given
that the Government wanted to foster
links between research performers and
research users.
"The Government wants to develop
Australian ideas, not in ivory towers, but
in an environment which focuses clearly
on building a competitive economy, on
developing new products and processes
contributing to exports and import re
placement," he said.
"In this context, it is completely logical
and consistent that the CSIRO's Board
should seek to enhance the organisation's
links with industry. This is particularly
appropriate, given the strong public sec
tor support Sor [research and develop
ment] and the need to continue growth in
business R&D."
Two weeks ago the CSIRO Board an
nounced that the organisation's chief ex
ecutive, Dr John Stockcr, would move
with 35 staff to a new headquarters at a
research site in Melbourne. The rest of
the CSIRO's 280 headquarters staff
would be relocated to other sites, mostly
in Canberra.
The announcement of the move
caused a storm of protest by scientists, the.
ACT's three Federal Labor MPs and the
ACT Government and Opposition.
$