APPLICATIONS

A new state-of-the-art "super-computer" is being purchased to support the work of climate change scientists in Queensland, Australia, Premier Peter Beattie and Natural Resources Minister Craig Wallace announced. Speaking at the Natural Resources Conference on Climate Change in Brisbane, Mr Beattie said the new computer would replace the existing high-performance computer system, which is no longer up to the job ahead. "We have allocated some $3 million towards the cost of replacing the existing technology located at the Queensland Climate Change Centre of Excellence at Indooroopilly," Mr Beattie said. Mr Beattie said it would be a critical infrastructure purchase. “It will give the centre’s 44 scientists the necessary computing speed and power to research, predict and monitor climate change and to help plan for and adapt to the changing climatic conditions for our regions, communities, economies and environment.” “Studies overseas and in Australia have shown there are significant economic benefits to be gained by acting early in response to climate change.” Mr Wallace said the new computer system would also come with additional IT staff to support the complex data needs of climate change research assessment and monitoring already underway. “Climate change research requires substantial computing capacity, so the new system will be predominantly used for climate modelling,” Mr Wallace said. “It will also be used for other important research functions such as satellite image processing for vegetation monitoring, surface and ground water modelling, and broader landscape modelling. “The new system is an important step in furthering the Smart State agenda for the next five to seven years. “As such, it will contribute to the recent whole of government direction in information and communications technology and to the collaborative science associated with the planned Boggo Road Ecosciences Precinct.” The new computer system will be installed early in 2008.