WEHI to double in size under expansion plans

By Graeme O'Neill
Friday, 04 November, 2005

The Victorian government has presented a birthday gift for Melbourne's Walter and Eliza Hall Institute for Medical Research: a AUD$50 million contribution towards the cost of a new seven-storey wing that will double the institute's size.

Victoria's premier, Steve Bracks, and treasurer John Brumby announced the $150 million project at a ceremony at the institute, marking the 90th anniversary of its founding in 1915.

WEHI director, Prof Suzanne Cory, flagged the expansion in an interview for the November/December Australian Life Scientist, saying she would like to double the size of the world-renowned medical research institute -- already Australia's largest -- by 2015.

The current building was designed to accommodate only 272 staff in comfort, with an upper limit of 363 staff. It currently house well over 500, and the institute has another 120 staff in satellite centres, including its new annexe at La Trobe University's Technology Park.

"I believe that, to be competitive on the national and international stage, we need to be larger," Cory told ALS. "We compare ourselves with the Salk Institute, the Whitehead Institute and Cold Spring Harbour, which have around 1000 scientists each, and budgets around three to four times the size of ours."

In announcing the $50 million grant, Bracks said the funding was a significant part of a Victorian goverment life sciences statement, to be released next year, which would outline his government's vision for innovation to meet the challenges of the coming decades, including the rising health costs associated with diseases of aging, including arthritis, type 2 diabetes and Parkinson's disease.

"The Victorian government has invested almost $1.4 billion in science and technology initiatives over the past six years, with grants for life sciences research a significant part," he said.

Graeme O'Neill's exclusive interview with Suzanne Cory and Gus Nossal , marking WEHI's 90th anniversary, will be published in Australian Life Scientist and online next week.