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The Australian Government’s 2009-10 Budget, released on Tuesday 12 May 2009, contains funding for an exciting new initiative that will contribute significantly to Australia’s role in the international Square Kilometre Array program.

The Government announced it will provide $80 million to establish a new Australian National Centre for SKA Science (‘the Centre’), as part of the $160 million Super Science - Space and Astronomy package which has several measures to benefit Australia’s already world-class astronomy infrastructure and research. The Centre will be part of iVEC, the advanced computing hub for Western Australia's research community.

Follow this link to the media release and fact sheet for the Australian Government’s 2009-10 Budget Super Science - Space and Astronomy package.

The Government will consult with relevant parties, particularly the radio astronomy community, to ensure that this project is implemented in ways that complement CSIRO’s Australian SKA Pathfinder (ASKAP) and the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR).

The Centre will facilitate enhanced ASKAP operations and increase the astronomy community’s ability to exploit the enormous volume of data from ASKAP. It will operate in conjunction with the Geraldton-based ASKAP Murchison Support Facility (MSF). The MSF will retain its key role in managing ASKAP data and providing technical, engineering and logistical support.

The Centre will also enhance ICRAR’s ambitious SKA related research agenda by expanding access to cutting-edge ICT facilities. ICRAR is a joint venture between the University of Western Australia and the Curtin University of Technology, funded by the Government of Western Australia, with a number of national and international partners including CSIRO.

As well as making a significant contribution to SKA science and ASKAP, the National Centre will be a world-class hub for high-performance computing that will support high-end research in many disciplines.