OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG SCIENTISTS ON THE REEF

A Queensland icon is urging more young people to take up science saying the Great Barrier Reef is opening up opportunities and challenges that will need to be addressed in the future.

Sir Sydney Schubert ended his public service career as Queensland Coordinator General and went on to be Executive Director and Chief Executive of Daikyo.

He has intimate knowledge of Queensland's leadership in marine science. Sir Sydney sat on the first management committee of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority more than 25 years ago and is now Chairman of the CRC Reef Research Centre Ltd for the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.

Marine Biology is a relative newcomer on the world scientific stage, Sir Sydney said.

"In fact, it is little more than a generation old and has only really developed with the advent of scuba diving after the Second World War," he said. "Management in the early days was a fairly empirical process."

"This is where the value of CRCs come into play. Managers and users now have a more informed basis for making decisions. They need it to cater to the increasing demands of more users.

"I look forward to further, big advances in Marine Science done principally out of Townsville through the James Cook University, the Australian Institute of Marine Science and the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries."

The CRC Reef brokers management and industry demands with research. Its focus has been expanded to incorporate a wider area of the reef area in recognition of the complexity of the system, said Sir Sydney.

"The 'first' CRC Reef responded to issues identified in extension work done with industry and agencies like the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, commercial and recreational fishers and marine park tourism operators," Sir Sydney said.

"The 'new' or second CRC Reef takes into account the whole world heritage area. That includes the vast sections of the system that aren't coral reefs. It recognises the complex nature of the reef and the fact that results of projects coming out of the first Reef CRC are providing impetus for more and more research.

"I encourage young people to take up a science career and combine it with their natural ability in information technology. It is all a part of Australia becoming the 'knowledge country,' and this is an area where Australia is and will remain, a leader."

Attention Editors/Chiefs of Staff: Sir Sydney will be available for interview on Thursday 10 August until 10.30 AM. Contact Media Liaison Robert Dark on 0417 623 156 to arrange interviews. (Embargo 10 August)