036/05
18 April 2005

Australian Government to pursue viable alternatives for the Tasinformatics Centre of Excellence

The Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Helen Coonan, said today she is disappointed that the University of Tasmania has decided not to proceed with the proposal for the Tasinformatics Centre of Excellence on the terms originally proposed by the University.

But Senator Coonan said that the Australian Government’s commitment to spend the Intelligent Island funding in Tasmania remained.

“We are committed to meeting the Intelligent Island program’s intended objectives for developing the ICT industry in Tasmania,” Senator Coonan said.

“The Australian Government and Tasmanian Government will now pursue other viable alternatives to invest the $20 million within Tasmania.”

Key changes to the ethical framework requested by the University of Tasmania were inconsistent with the original business plan for the Tasinformatics Centre of Excellence submitted by the University and the Tasmanian Department of Health in September 2003.

“The Government’s intent from the start has been to implement the Intelligent Island board’s decisions with regards to the Centre and its position on the Centre’s ethical framework,” she said.

The Intelligent Island board represented all major stakeholders, including the University.

In the last six months there have been extensive consultations and dialogue with the University and other stakeholders, involving my office and my Department.

“While some progress was reached during recent consultations and many genuine attempts at compromise have been made over the last six months, the University of Tasmania has not
agreed to proceed in accordance with the ethical framework outlined in the original submission.”

The Australian Government’s position has always been that the ethics clause, as proposed in the original submission by the University of Tasmania and the Department of Health and Human Services to the Intelligent Island Board in September 2003, should apply to the Centre as a whole.

“The University’s decision not to proceed with the Centre in line with its original submission leaves me with no alternative but to request the Project Executive to pursue other avenues in Tasmania to spend the $20 million committed to this initiative.”