Senator Pocock’s vision for Canberra as an innovation capital
Nick McNaughton chatted with Senator David Pocock about his views on Canberra, innovation, clean energy and liveability.
Q: Canberra Innovation Network (CBRIN) was incorporated 10 years ago and is the hub of the innovation ecosystem in the ACT. They have proven that coworking, acceleration and incubation lead to the creation of startups. What is your vision for the next stage of growth for CBRIN?
“one of the things I keep hearing from companies is trying to have more of a foot in the door for smaller companies to be able to have the government as a customer”
I've loved the opportunity to get out and speak to a whole bunch of these startups and businesses in the ACT that most Canberrans wouldn't know came through CBRIN. One of the things that we need to be celebrating more as Canberra is our startup scene. Canberra has the most startups per capita in the country. Some of these startups are world-leading with the technology they're developing. The thing I'm hearing is more support at the startup stage, and more support for proven models like CBRIN that are doing great work. And really crucially, ensuring that smaller companies and startups have better access to Australian Government procurement. That's one of the things I keep hearing from companies is trying to have more of a foot in the door for smaller companies to be able to have the government as a customer. Grants are great in the early stages. But once you've got a product, you need customers. And we should be using procurement to support Australian businesses.
Q: We are starting to see specific verticals that are going to create the industries of the future (e.g. space industries, quantum computing). What’s your vision for sector-focused decentralized hubs?
I think there's a huge opportunity for sectors such as quantum computing, cyber, advanced manufacturing and space industries, with so many standout Canberra companies. There is support when companies are at a small startup and can start to develop their products. But once you get to the manufacturing stage, it’s pretty hard to find good space that's affordable for startups. There's a need and opportunity to develop almost a precinct where you can house these startups and companies. Our economy benefits the longer we can keep companies here before they get poached by interstate cities such as Melbourne or overseas. It’s better for Canberrans and the region.
Q: Do you think there’s any way the Federal Government could help stimulate these sector-specific vertically focused hubs?
Something I raised in negotiations over the $15 billion National Reconstruction Fund (NRF) was the need to have funding that was more targeted at earlier-stage startups to create a pipeline for the NRF. Mr Husic (Minister for Industry and Science) was really good to deal with, and based on feedback from me and other people, the Australian government decided to develop a $392.4 million Industry Growth Program. The discussion now is about how that gets spent. I’d argue that putting some of that money into established entities like CBRIN that have a track record and are eager to scale and have capability with great people wanting to make things happen is a way to get real bang for your buck.
Q: It’s rare that you have alignment between the politics of the ACT and up on the hill. Having you represent Canberra’s interests is a unique opportunity, a generational opportunity, to secure support from the government for the ACT. Thank you for lobbying for the NRF.
“there’s an opportunity to push [the government] really hard for investment that sets us up not just as the nation’s capital but also as a city in our own right”
No problem at all. You are right. There is a huge opportunity, and now, with Australian Labor Party governments at the territory and the federal level, there's an opportunity to push them really hard for investment that sets us up not just as the nation's capital but also as a city in our own right. Over the last year, we've done a lot of consultation looking at infrastructure and the things that Canberrans – businesses, peak bodies, different organizations – believe would help set us up for the future. It’s probably no surprise that housing comes out on top. Then it’s events, including having a convention centre where you can have international events. The next one is innovation, and I think that's where there's an opportunity to support places like CBRIN and work with universities and businesses that are looking for more space as they scale up to develop a precinct that can continue to grow this sort of sector. I think it’s aligned with the priorities we’re hearing from the government regarding national security and our national interest in sectors such as cyber, quantum computing, and advanced manufacturing capability here in Australia. You look at what Syenta at ANU is doing to try and print microprocessors – some really exciting stuff that needs more support. So, it is a targeted, long-term approach.
Q: With this sort of growth there is a downside. Last year during winter, I walked to CBRIN and often walked past homeless people who slept in the arches across the road. The Chief Minister wants us to grow to 500,000 people by 2050, and there is pressure for housing, and the cost of housing is going up. What’s your approach to bringing the disadvantaged and the vulnerable along on this journey?
Based on consultations, we’ve been looking at options. The City to the Lake Proposal (originally presented in 2013), if done well, could add up to another 7,000 dwellings in Civic. You could mandate 20 per cent of them to be affordable. We have to have a genuine conversation about this, as do most Australian cities. Here in Canberra, as we grow, it makes sense to have more people where there are public transport and existing services and where more and more people want to live, such as close to the park and the lake. But then we need to ensure as we build that we cater for people who aren't on higher incomes. It's really about political will. Some countries have dealt with the housing crisis well by putting people first, and I urge governments at all levels to start doing that more.
Q: One of the things I love about this city is that it’s economically progressive as well as socially progressive. With same-sex marriage now legislated, what is the next great social progression barrier that we need to break through?
A huge challenge is the clean energy transition. We're in a situation now where if you are wealthier, you can afford an electric vehicle and charge it off your roof rather than pay for very expensive petrol. And you can have heat pumps and electric appliances and make genuine savings. But there are upfront costs to that. I am concerned that if we don't get the policy right, some Canberrans will be left dealing with things like expensive, unhealthy gas in their homes that causes all sorts of issues around asthma and other health issues. And I think it's important that we start to see policies from government that speed up the transition across the board while ensuring that low-income households, including people living in social housing, aren't left behind. If we get it right, it's a huge opportunity for us, including massive cost savings – we're talking thousands of dollars per household per year. That money could go into the local economy rather than offshore to foreign oil producers. It’s also anti-inflationary because you can lock in the price of energy at a much lower price into the future.
Q: I had an international visitor recently, and I took them up to the National Arboretum. From the magnificent view from the top of the hill, I told them the story of the 2003 and 2019 fires and explained how the whole skyline was dark with flames. We are experiencing not just global warming, but global boiling. What more can we do to get to net zero faster and minimize our carbon emissions?
What we’re seeing is in line with the science. We're setting ourselves up for failure, and there is a stack of enormous fossil fuel projects that look likely to go ahead under the Labor government that will have big implications for our climate. We're at a crossroads now where the science is clear; we're seeing the effects, yet we're not seeing the action from government that we need.
Q: Are you pro a big Australia?
We’ve now got an admission from the government that the immigration system isn't working. It’s not targeted enough, and I think it should be. There should be a system where we get the right skills and people into the country to plug certain gaps and capabilities that we need. One of the points I've heard from startups is how much people love living in Canberra and want to stay. And Canberra does lend itself to startups because it’s smaller, and you can get around as there generally is less commute time. So, there's a quality of life where you can pop into other businesses. For example, you can go to CBRIN for a business networking breakfast in the morning and return to the office in 10 to 15 minutes. I think it's really important that we keep building on that. As the city grows, we will have more dwellings close to civic, and then we will need to work on an active transport infrastructure so people can get around easily, such as by bike or scooter. This will create more of the sort of innovation hub that I think should be the goal.
