Ã¢ÂÂ ^gLÂ· PRESS STATEMENT _ by the Minister for National Development

.  COMMONWEALTH GRANTS FOR ENERGY RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND

DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS

The Minister for National Development, Mr Kevin

Newman, said today that about $15 million would be

available in 1978/79 to encourage a major expansion of

energy research and development.

The Budget makes a cash provision of $4 million

for research grants expenditure in 1978/79 and, to cater for

longer term projects, the Government is prepared to commit a

further $5 million against expenditure in future years.

Additionally about $6 million, representing accruals and

reserves in the Coal Research Trust Account, will be

x available for coal research.

Grants from these funds, which will be allocated

on advice from the recently established National Energy

Research, Development and Demonstration Council, will

enable the Commonwealth Government to greatly expand

its support of energy research, development and

.demonstration projects.

These funds are in addition to those available

to CSIRO, the Australian Atomic Energy Commission and

other Commonwealth authorities, which in 1976/77 expended a

total of about $14.5 million on energy research and

i  development.

The additional funds not only represent a very

significant increase in Commonwealth support generally

but also provide for a substantial broadening of

opportunity to encourage more research by a wide range of

interested groups, including State bodies and private

enterprise.

.. /2

2

~v

Mr Newman said that the National Energy

Research, Development and Demonstration Council had

been declared a Coal Research Advisory Committee under

Section 7 of the Coal Research Assistance Act 1977 and

was now actively assessing submissions received under

this Act.

In addition, the Council would be advertising

for further proposals for energy RD & D projects at the

end of this week in the light of the new Budget provisions.

The Council would assess all submissions received and provide

advice on which projects the Council considers should

be funded from the Budget allocation. The Council would be

assisted in its assessment of proposals by technical

standing committees. Applications would be assessed on the

basis of their merit in terms of the Government's priorities.

Â· ’Â«  Mr. Newman said that the Council and its committees

would have to undertake detailed and careful analyses of

the submissions received to ensure that the energy RD & D

dollar was properly and efficiently spent in the national

interest. He pointed out that the Council would be preparing

an annual report which would carry a summary of all

* projects supported during the previous year.

Mr Newman said that he greatly appreciated the

dedication of the members of Council in undertaking this

arduous and significant task.

CANBERRA

17 August, 1978

