Tuesday, 30 July 2024

Medical research

Michael GALEA (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (17:58): (1000) My adjournment matter this evening is for the Deputy Premier in his capacity as the Minister for Medical Research. The action that I am seeking is an update on support being provided for medical research projects in Victoria. I recently had the pleasure of joining Minister Carroll and my colleague Lee Tarlamis at the formal opening of the Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre at Monash Clayton in the south-east suburbs. We also had the opportunity to tour the facilities and meet with the director of the MMIC, Professor Michelle McIntosh, the director of the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Professor Chris Porter, and the vice-chancellor of Monash University, Sharon Pickering.

The MMIC helps Victorian medicine manufacturers invest in research and development, create new products and develop skills. The centre’s new purpose-built facility is dedicated to helping industry solve technical challenges, develop new product formulations and encourage investment in life-saving therapies, thanks to a dedicated team of scientists. The expansion was made possible by the Allan Labor government’s investment of over $16 million in the Monash technology precinct. I think it bears mentioning at this point that, as we see at Monash and as we see at other points around Victoria, Melbourne is actually one of the top three cities in the world for medical research. We have got Boston, we have got, depending how you define it, London or Oxford in the UK and then we have got Melbourne. That is a significant group to be a part of. That is a very good standing that we have. That is a very exciting industry that we have in Victoria, and it is one that this government has been very proud to support. I am very excited to see the continued support and development of this wonderful sector that we have.

Later that same morning I had the opportunity to visit the Victorian Heart Hospital, just across the road from the MMIC. Again, it was fantastic to see such a world-leading – nation-leading certainly – hospital, which opened just over a year ago. The Victorian government has delivered this state-of-the-art hospital in partnership with Monash Health, Monash University and John Holland. This is a hospital that will be servicing heart-related issues across the Monash Health region – the majority of my electorate in fact is in the Monash Health area – as well as providing those specialist cardiac services for the entire state. We are again very blessed to have such an asset in Melbourne, particularly in Melbourne’s south-east. Amongst these projects, the action that I am seeking is an update on the support that is being provided for medical research projects in Victoria by the Allan Labor government.