NZ to kick in $5 million for Synchrotron

New Zealand will provide AUD$5 million towards the synchrotron beamlines, pushing beamline funding over $25 million - half of the $49 million required to set up the initial suite of beamlines.

The announcement of an in principle commitment by New Zealand was made yesterday by Victorian Premier Steve Bracks and New Zealand Minister for Research, Science and Technology Pete Hodgson.

Between nine and 13 beamlines will make up the initial suite, which will include beamlines suitable for protein crystallography, diffraction, spectroscopy and imaging.

Hodgson said New Zealand R&D would benefit from the investment and the contribution would give the country a "seat at the table" in the development of the Synchrotron facility.

"Like Australia, New Zealand has so-called 'suitcase scientists' forced to go to the Northern Hemisphere to undertake leading edge R&D. This new Australian facility will bring the tools they need much closer," he said.

Victoria's innovation minister said the state was on track to have all of the beamline funding in place before the facility was commissioned.