The state government has backed away from plans to merge its key science and technology advisory bodies, preferring instead to make only small changes to the structure of its Science and Innovation Council.
The state government has backed away from plans to merge its key science and technology advisory bodies, preferring instead to make only small changes to the structure of its Science and Innovation Council.
As recently as last December, the then science and innovation minister, Francis Logan, said the government was planning to merge the science council with the Technology and Industry Advisory Council.
One day after Mr Logan made those comments, Premier Alan Carpenter took responsibility for science and innovation as part of a wider ministerial reshuffle.
As a result, Mr Carpenter has retained the Science and Innovation Council as his advisory body, while in his current role as Industry and Enterprise Minister, Mr Logan has retained TIAC, chaired by company director John Thompson, to advise on technology matters.
This follows last month’s retire-ment of former state govern-ment minister Mal Bryce as chairman of a third advisory body, the Infor-mation and Communi-cations Tech-nology Industry Devel-op-ment Forum, which also reports to Mr Logan.
Mr Bryce said his work commitments, including a new role as director of Yilgarn Infrastructure Ltd, took him out of the state regularly and he would not be available for all TIAC meetings.
The ICT Forum’s interim chair is Richard Thorning, who moved last year from Optus to Curtin University’s Business School, where he is director entrepreneur-ship, executive education and consultancy.
Mr Carpenter highlighted the linkages between science, innovation and technology when announcing the new members of the Science and Innovation Council last week.
“The council will also be the government’s key advisory body on the strategic direction of science initiatives for the state to ensure maximum benefits to the WA community and industry,” he said.
It replaces former premier Geoff Gallop’s science council, which was criticised at times for focusing too much on research and not enough on commercial development.
The new 12-member council is chaired by WA’s recently appointed chief scientist, Professor Lyn Beazley, who was formerly with the University of WA.
It includes the Lions Eye Institute’s Professor Ian Constable, St Hilda’s Anglican School’s Dr Pam Garnett, and representatives from WA’s three major research universities.
Sustainability expert, Professor Peter Newman, and the chair of the state government’s greenhouse energy taskforce, Dr Roy Green, are also on the council.
Members with industry links include CSIRO Petroleum’s Professor Beverley Ronalds and the Parker Centre’s Mark Woffenden, who oversees research programs for the mining industry.
While the government has retained its three advisory bodies, its bureaucratic advice comes from the Department of Industry and Resources’ Office of Science, Technology & Innovation.
There was previously a separate Office of Science & Innovation in the Department of Premier & Cabinet.
