{"id":"F2022L00324","name":"Industry Research and Development (Square Kilometre Array Program) Instrument 2022","slug":"industry-research-and-development-square-kilometre-array-program-instrument-2022","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":441273,"registerId":"F2022L00324-fast-fetch-1775956623824","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-12","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Industry Research and Development (Square Kilometre Array Program) Instrument 2022","content":"---\nmeta-content-style-type: text/css\nmeta-content-type: application/xhtml+xml; charset=utf-8\nmeta-generator: Aspose.Words for .NET 22.10.0\n---\n\n?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"utf-8\" standalone=\"no\"?>\n\n![Commonwealth Coat of Arms of Australia](image.001.jpeg)\n\n \n\nIndustry Research and Development (Square Kilometre Array Program) Instrument 2022\n\nI, Melissa Price, Minister for Science and Technology, make the following instrument.\n\nDated: 11 March 2022\n\n \n\nMelissa Price\n\nMinister for Science and Technology\n\n \n\nContents\n\n1  Name\n\n2  Commencement\n\n3  Authority\n\n4  Definitions\n\n5  Prescribed program\n\n6  Specified legislative power\n\n \n\n1  Name\n\n  This instrument is the Industry Research and Development (Square Kilometre Array Program) Instrument 2022.\n\n2  Commencement\n\n (1) Each provision of this instrument specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.\n\n \n\n- Commencement information\n- Column 1 Column 2 Column 3\n- Provisions Commencement Date/Details\n- 1. The whole of this instrument The day after this instrument is registered.\n\n\nNote: This table relates only to the provisions of this instrument as originally made. It will not be amended to deal with any later amendments of this instrument.\n\n (2) Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of this instrument. Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it may be edited, in any published version of this instrument.\n\n3  Authority\n\n  This instrument is made under section 33 of the Industry Research and Development Act 1986.\n\n4  Definitions\n\n  In this instrument:\n\nAct means the Industry Research and Development Act 1986.\n\n  AusSRC means the Regional Centre established in Australia.\n\n  Regional Centre means a part of the SRC network established in a particular country or group of countries.\n\nSKA Convention means the Convention Establishing the Square Kilometre Array Observatory done at Rome on 12 March 2019.\n\nSKA Project has the same meaning as in Article 1 of the SKA Convention.\n\nNote: Article 1 provides that: ‘“SKA Project” means the global effort to build, maintain, operate and ultimately decommission the SKA.’\n\nSKAO has the same meaning as in Article 1 of the SKA Convention.\n\nNote: Article 1 provides that ‘“SKAO” means the Square Kilometre Array Observatory’.\n\n  SRC network means the international network of computing and data management infrastructure established for the purpose of giving users access to SKA telescope data products, and to the tools and capabilities needed to interact with and analyse these data products.\n\n5  Prescribed program\n\n (1) For the purposes of subsection 33(1) of the Act, the Square Kilometre Array Program (the program) is prescribed.\n\n (2) The program provides funding to enable the Commonwealth to do the following:\n\n   (a) support SKAO and the SKA Project;\n\n (b) support and promote diplomatic efforts in relation to the SKA Project;\n\n   (c) engage in enterprises and activities related to providing and operating the SKAO telescope to be hosted in Australia;\n\n (d) provide funding and other resources for AusSRC to:\n\n (i) deliver Australia’s contribution to the SRC network; and\n\n (ii) have a specific focus on Australian-lead research programs, multidisciplinary research, translation of data techniques, tools and skills to industry, and education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics;\n\n (f) engage in other enterprises and activities related to the SKA Project and AusSRC.\n\n (3) The purpose of the program is to support:\n\n (a) Australia’s engagement in the SKA Project; and\n\n (b) Australian research and development utilising the SRC network and infrastructure.\n\n6  Specified legislative power\n\n  For the purposes of subsection 33(3) of the Act, the powers of the Parliament to make laws with respect to the following are specified:\n\n (a) astronomical and meteorological observations (within the meaning of paragraph 51(viii) of the Constitution);\n\n (b) external affairs (within the meaning of paragraph 51(xxix) of the Constitution);\n\n (c) enterprises and activities that are peculiarly adapted to the government of a nation and cannot otherwise be carried on for the benefit of the nation (see paragraph 51(xxxix) and section 61 of the Constitution).\n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The instrument uses the power in section 33 of the Industry Research and Development Act 1986 to prescribe a program and its purposes (see section 3 and section 5). It does not purport to alter the Act’s scope; it defines a particular program of funding and specifies the constitutional powers relied on (section 6) rather than expanding legislative competence beyond the Act’s mechanism."},"complexity_factors":["Short, focused instrument that simply prescribes a program under section 33 of the Industry Research and Development Act 1986 (section 3 + section 5(1)): low textual complexity.","Relies on definitions tied to an international treaty (SKA Convention) and treaty-defined terms (SKA Project, SKAO) rather than creating new technical definitions (section 4): introduces cross-reference complexity to external documents.","Specifies a broad set of funded activities (support, diplomacy, operations, AusSRC funding, education and industry translation) without detailed administrative rules (section 5(2)): grants administrative discretion and leaves implementation details to funding instruments or agencies.","Identifies constitutional bases invoked (astronomical/meteorological observations, external affairs, and nation-level enterprises) which creates constitutional and intergovernmental interpretation considerations (section 6).","Low compliance burden on private actors in the instrument itself, but potential coordination complexity across government, research institutions and international partners due to diplomatic and operational responsibilities (section 5(2)(b),(c),(d)).","Administrative risk: practical implementation will require establishing funding agreements, governance for AusSRC delivery, and international coordination; those mechanisms are not set out here (implicit from section 5)."],"plain_english_summary":"This instrument gives the Commonwealth a legal basis to fund and support Australia’s participation in the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) Project. It authorises funding for the SKA Observatory, diplomatic activity, hosting and operating SKA infrastructure in Australia, and for AusSRC to deliver Australia’s contribution to the SRC network and support research, industry translation and STEM education.\n\nIt affects the Commonwealth (as payer/decision-maker), SKAO/SKA Project participants, AusSRC, Australian researchers, universities and industry suppliers. It matters because it creates the statutory program and stated purposes that guide funding and engagement."},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"A positive credit balance is required for all requests, including BYOK, so fallback providers remain available. Add credits at https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai%3Fmodal%3Dtop-up to continue.","source":"analysis-cron"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The instrument remains tightly focused on its original purpose: establishing the funding mechanism for Australia's participation in the Square Kilometre Array. The scope has not expanded beyond supporting the SKA Project, the international observatory, and Australia's regional data centre."},"complexity_factors":["Only 6 short sections total","8 defined terms in section 4, all straightforward (mostly referring to the SKA Convention or the parent Act)","No nested exceptions or conditional logic","Single cross-reference to the Industry Research and Development Act 1986 (section 33)","Minimal operational detail — most substantive content is in the enabling Act and the SKA Convention itself"],"plain_english_summary":"This instrument formally creates the Square Kilometre Array Program under the Industry Research and Development Act 1986, giving the government a legal basis to fund Australia’s role in the international SKA radio‑telescope project. It authorises support for the SKAO and Australia’s hosted telescope components and AusSRC (the regional data/compute centre), plus related diplomacy, research, industry translation and STEM activities.\n\nIt affects SKA scientists, AusSRC, the SKAO and Australian industry by enabling sustained funding for the project’s operations and data infrastructure."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/industry-research-and-development-square-kilometre-array-program-instrument-2022","history":"/api/acts/industry-research-and-development-square-kilometre-array-program-instrument-2022/history","analysis":"/api/acts/industry-research-and-development-square-kilometre-array-program-instrument-2022/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/industry-research-and-development-square-kilometre-array-program-instrument-2022/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/industry-research-and-development-square-kilometre-array-program-instrument-2022/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/industry-research-and-development-square-kilometre-array-program-instrument-2022/documents"}}