Vic: Synchrotron fails to live up to promise: opposition

AAP General News (Australia)
02-11-2004
Vic: Synchrotron fails to live up to promise: opposition

MELBOURNE, Feb 11 AAP - The $206 million Victorian synchrotron project will not be
the world-class facility promised by the state government, the state Opposition said today.

Opposition Deputy Leader Phil Honeywood said two senior public servants revealed the
project would have less than a third the capacity that had been promised by the government
over the past two years.

"The Victorian taxpayer has been duped into believing they are having a world-class
scientific facility when in fact it's going to be a mini-me facility," Mr Honeywood said.

The government had originally said the project would have between 24 and 30 beamlines,
Mr Honeywood said.

A synchrotron is a powerful scientific tool that generates beams of light by speeding
up electrons. They can be used to examine the molecular structure of matter and design
new materials and drugs.

Public servants working on the project yesterday told a Victorian Civil Administrative
Tribunal hearing that the $206 million was never intended to cover a 30 beamline facility,
Mr Honeywood said.

"The government consistently promised it would be a world-class facility with at least
24 beamlines," Mr Honeywood said.

"We now find from the public servants actually running the project that it's always
been only nine beamlines all along."

Mr Honeywood said if the project went ahead with only nine beamlines it would reduce
its capacity to carry out a wide range of scientific research, including industry specific
investigations.

He said the project also faced a $49 million shortfall because of a lack of interest
from the private sector.

"The government has got a major funding crisis on its hands," he said.

"It's put in $157 million, but it's own conservative estimate is to build the thing
with nine beamlines is $206 million.

"We have still got a $49 million gap and they can't get any private sector companies
after three years of negotiations."

AAP mf/gfr/cmc/br

KEYWORD: SYNCHROTRON

2004 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.