FACING possible closure after the funding cuts flagged by the state government last month, there may be a ray of hope for Gingin’s Gravity Discovery Centre in the form of newly appointed Science and Innovation Minister, Bill Marmion.
FACING possible closure after the funding cuts flagged by the state government last month, there may be a ray of hope for Gingin’s Gravity Discovery Centre in the form of newly appointed Science and Innovation Minister, Bill Marmion.
FACING possible closure after the funding cuts flagged by the state government last month, there may be a ray of hope for Gingin’s Gravity Discovery Centre in the form of newly appointed Science and Innovation Minister, Bill Marmion.
Mr Marmion told WA Business News he would re-evaluate the future of the centre considering its value to Western Australia, despite the fact that “the state money has been cut” and he was now tasked with “shutting it down”.
“I’ve actually asked my department to have another look at that, so there is a possibility of it not being shut down,” Mr Marmion said.
“There might just need to be some tweaking of the funding model along the way.”
The centre’s manager, John Spence, said he and his 25 staff were hoping for a quick response after a meeting with the government on Friday.
“It needs a quick decision as we almost certainly won’t get some financial support before the end of the year,” he said. “And the money we have will probably expire in the next two to four weeks.”
The opposition voiced concern in April after then treasurer and science and innovation minister, Troy Buswell, detailed the government’s plan to cease funding, suggesting work needed to be done on the centre’s business plan.
Opposition treasury spokesman Ben Wyatt said the centre, which requires $187,500 funding each year, was the public face of the Australian International Gravitational Observatory, which was internationally renowned for its research into gravitational astronomy.
University of Western Australia professor David Blair said major international funding for the $200 million AIGO project was being established but closing the centre would compromise this investment.
“Closure will also risk five postgraduate research projects funded under a $1 million federally supported research grant,” Professor Blair said.
The Gravity Discovery Centre was established in 2004 as a tourist attraction, and education and research facility.