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S J l  ' J MR DAVID THOMSON . ' :Ã¢ÂÂ

M  3 1  .

REVIEW OF COMMONWEALTH FUNCTIONS DECISIONS

T h e aim  of the c h a n g e s  to the D e p a rtm e n t of Science a n d  T e c h n o lo g y  is

to e n c o u ra g e  p r i v a t e  e n t e r p r i s e  to assume r e s p o n s i b i l i t y  fo r  m any

f u n c tio n s  w hich the G o v e rn m e n t c o n s id e rs  s h o u ld  be c o rre c t Iy c a r r i e d

out by the p r i v a t e  s e c to r.

The D e p a r t m e n t 's  p r o d u c t i v i t y  d e v e lo p m e n t f u n c tio n s , the p ilo t p ro g ra m s

aim ed  a t im p r o v in g  the i n n o v a t i v e  process a n d  the a s s is t a n c e  to

in v e n to r s  scheme w i l l  be assessed by in d e p e n d e n t p ersons from p r i v a t e

e n t e r p r i s e . T h e y  w i l l  r e p o r t  b a c k  to me.

The i n d u s t r i a l  m a n a g e m e n t a c t i v i t i e s  of the D e p a rtm e n t w ill be

s u b s t a n t i a l l y  r e d u c e d . A n y  r e s i d u a l  a c t i v i t i e s  w i l l  be t r a n s f e r r e d  to the

D ep artm en t of I n d u s t r i a l  R e l a t i o n s .

Commonwealth in v o lv e m e n t in technology t r a n s f e r  w ill a ls o  be

s u b s t a n t i a l l y  r e d u c e d .

A p la n n e d  Tech n o lo g y A w a re n e s s  P ro g ra m  w i l l  be a b a n d o n e d  a n d  g r a n t s

to the I n d u s t r i a l  Design C o u n c il of A u s t r a l i a  w i l l  be t e r m i n a t e d .

The G o v e rn m e n t's  t h r e e  y e a r  c o n tr a c t w ith  the T e c h n o lo g y

T r a n s f e r  Council w i l l  c o n t in u e , a n d  w i l l  be cost e v a l u a t e d

b e fo re  completion w it h  a v i e w  to b e in g  t a k e n  o v e r  b y  the p r i v a t e  sector.

T h e re  is an u r g e n t  need f o r  the p r i v a t e  sector to u p g r a d e  its technology

t r a n s f e r  a c t i v i t i e s .  I n the past; b u s in e s s  h a s  to a l a r g e  d e g re e  loft this

to G overnm ent. ,

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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

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A n o t h e r  i m p o r t a n t  d e c j s i o n  is, t h e c r e a t i o n  w i t h i n  CSIRO of  a n e w  I n s t i t u t e

of ji E r ie r g y  a n d  Eanth;tResourcesy.! : oÂ· : ^  : :

T h i s  f o l l o w s  a  r e a l  l o c a t i o n  of e x i s t i n g  r e s o u r c e s  in t h e  A u s t r a l i a n  Atomic

E n e r g y  C o m m i s s i o n .  (See s e p a r a t e  p r e s s  r e l e a s e ) .

O t h e r  d e c i s i o n s  a r e : Â­

*  a b o l i t i o n  of e l e v e n  a d v i s o r y  b o d i e s  (see a t t a c h e d  l i s t )

*  s e v e n  o t h e r  a d v i s o r y  b o d i e s  a m a l g a m a t e d  (see a t t a c h e d  l i s t )

*  . b u s i n e s s  i n f o r m a t i o n  c e n t r e s  a b o l i s h e d

*  f i n a l i s i n g  t h e  r a t i o n a l i s a t i o n  p r o c e s s  of t h e  w e a t h e r  a n d

c l i m a t e  r e s e a r c h  a c t i v i t i e s  of  t h e  CSIRO a n d  B u r e a u  of

M e t e o r o l o g y

*  C S IR O  w i l l  b e the m a j o r  b o d y  w i t h i n  t h e C o m m o n w e a lt h

s e c t o r  w i t h  a  c a p a c i t y  f o r  ADP t e c h n i c a l  a d v i c e

*  a n  i n d e p e n d e n t  i n q u i r y  w i l l  e x a m i n e  C o m m o n w e a lt h

l a b o r a t o r y  s e r v i c e s  to see i f  t h e i r  f u n c t i o n s  f a l l  w i t h i n

G o v e r n m e n t  p o l i c y  r e q u i r e m e n t s ,  a n d  a r e  e f f e c t i v e

*  t h e  f u n c t i o n s  of t h e N a t i o n a l  M a t e r i a l s  H a n d l i n g  B u r e a u

w i l l b e  t r a n s f e r r e d  to a r e s e a r c h  a s s o c i a t i o n  f u n d e d  by

. t h e  p r i v a t e  s e c t o r ,  or. i f  t h a t  is i m p r a c t i c a l ,  t h e  B u r e a u

w i l l b e w o u n d  up

*  t h e  o p e r a t i o n  of t h e  B a s e l i n e  A i r  P o l l u t i o n  S t a t i o n  w i l l be

c o n t r a c t e d  o u t

t h e  g r a n t  to t h e  P r o d u c t i v i t y  P r o m o ti o n  C o u n c i l  of A u s t r a l i a

w i l l b e r e d u c e d  b y  $ 3 0 , 0 0 0 ,  a  cost s a v i n g  of 14 p e r c e n t

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C o m m o n w e a lth  s t a f f ,  ip v o ly e m e r it ÃÂ¤ÃÂ· . PRCA a c t i v i t i e s  w i l l be .,,

p h a s e d  o u t  o v e r  two y e a r s ,  a n d  t h e  G o v e r n m e n t  n ot es t h e r e

w i l l b e  a  n e e d  to s u p p o r t  n o n - p u b l i c  s e r v i c e  r e p l a c e m e n t

s t a f f  d u r i n g  t h a t  p e r i o d

T h e  A u s t r a l i a n  M a r i n e  S ci en ce s a n d  T e c h n o l o g i e s  A d v i s o r y

C o m m i t t e e  w i l l now r e p o r t  to t h e  M i n i s t e r  f o r  S c ie n c e  a n d

T e c h n o l o g y .  P r e v i o u s l y  it w a s  a  s t a n d i n g  c o m m it t e e  of

Tec h n o lo g y  t h e A u s t r a l i a n  S ci en ce  a n d  T e c h n o l o g y  C o u n c il

( A S T E C )  _ .

30 A p r i l  1981

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A d v i s o r y Bodies A b o l i s h e d :

Ã¢ÂÂ¢

* M e t e o r o l o g i c a l  R esearch A d v i s o r y  Com m ittee

- * N a t i o n a l  C o n s u l t a t i v e  Committee on O c c u p a t i o n a l  S a f e t y  a n d

H e a l t h

* C o m m o n w e a lt h  Committee on O c c u p a t i o n a l  S a f e t y  a n d

in th e  A u s t r a l i a n  P u b l i c  S e r v i c e  .

Heal th

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I n f o r m a t i o n  T e c h n o l o g y  C o u n c i l

N a t i o n a l  E m p l o y e e  P a r t i c i p a t i o n  S t e e r i n g  C o m m i t t e e

( c o n s u l t a t i o n  w o u l d  t a k e  p l a c e  t h r o u g h  t h e  N a t i o n a l

C o n s u l t a t i v e  C o m m i t t e e )  .

L a b o r

* A d v i s o r y  C o m m i t t e e  o n  I n t e r n a t i o n a l  S c i e n t i f i c  a n d

T e c h n o l o g i c a l  A c t i v i t i e s

* A s t r o n o m y  A d v i s o r y  C o m m i t t e e

* A u s t r a l i a n  I n v e n t o r s  A d v i s o r y  C o m m i t t e e

* A u s t r a l i a n  N u m e r i c a l  M e t e o r o l o g i c a l  R e s e a r c h  C e n t r e

C o m m i t t e e  .

A d v i s o r y

* B a l l o o n  L a u n c h i n g  S t a t i o n  C o - o r d i n a t i n g  C o m m i t t e e

* T e c h n o l o g y  T r a n s f e r  C o u n c i l  A d v i s o r y  B o a r d

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A d v i s o r y  B o d i e s  A m a l g a m a t e d :

Ã¢ÂÂ   *  A n t a r c t i c  N a m e s  C o m m i t t e e  o f  A u s t r a l i a ,  A n t a r c t i c  P o l a r

M e d a l  A s s e s s m e n t  C o m m i t t e e ,  a n d  t h e  H e a r d  I s l a n d  a n d

M c D o n a l d  i s l a n d s  N a m e s  C o m m i t t e e  o f  A u s t r a l i a

*  . T h e  A n t a r c t i c  R e s e a r c h  P o l i c y  A d v i s o r y  C o m m i t t e e  a n d  t h e

A n t a r c t i c  R e s e a r c h  P o l i c y  A d v i s o r y  C o m m i t t e e  .

*  T h e  Q u e e n  E l i z a b e t h  I I  A d v i s o r y  C o m m i t t e e  a n d  t h e

A u s t r a l i a n  R e s e a r c h  G r a n t s  C o m m i t t e e

