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Browsing Annual Reports by Subject "Government policies"

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    2010-2015 corporate plan
    (Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, 2010-09-01) Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
    Nuclear science and technology is a dynamic area of endeavour that focuses on the basic building blocks of matter at the atomic and sub-atomic level. It has many uses, including helping to gain a better understanding of both biological and physically complex systems, and in improving our quality of life. Nuclear science and technology’s potential to improve our lives and unlock the many mysteries of science is well established, but new and exciting areas are still open for innovation. This document details ANSTO’s Corporate Plan (the Plan) for the period 2010-2015, in particular: Our vision, purpose and core values A contextual overview of nuclear science and technology Findings from strategic and operational reviews undertaken over the past two years Strategic priorities for 2010-2015 How we will measure our success in implementing the Plan. Key external documents that have informed development of the Plan include: Statement of Expectations for the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Australia’s National Research Priorities Powering Ideas: An Innovation Agenda for the 21st Century National Security Science and Innovation Strategy Inspiring Australia: A National Strategy for Engagement with the Sciences Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation Act 1987. Internal documents include ANSTO’s: 2030 Scenario Planning Research Papers (2010) 2055 Infrastructure Plan (2010) ANSTO Statement of Intent (2010).
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    Corporate social responsibility report 2003-04
    (Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, 2005) The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
    This report reflects our desire to share and communicate with our various stakeholders; whether they support the work we do or are opposed to it. There are a number of mechanisms through which we invite people to interact with us, and we welcome continuing discussion on a range of issues relevant to our operations. As many already know, ANSTO operates at the leading edge of nuclear medicine, helping thousands of Australians enjoy healthier lives every year. Australians have benefited from our work in assisting the aerospace, agriculture, manufacturing, mining, minerals, food and oil exploration sectors. Our work in developing techniques to investigate climate change, salinity and groundwater pollution has also added greatly to the understanding and advancement of environmental research in these areas. What is important to us is our insistence to deliver these medical, industrial and scientific benefits through safe and secure operational management. Indeed, the excellent safety record of our High Flux Australian Reactor (HIFAR) has been maintained over the 47 years of its operation and we are vigilant in our compliance with the license regulations required by the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) for our facilities and radioactive sources. The challenge for us is to find ways to ensure we continue to deliver these services and responsibilities openly and transparently without compromising classifications, regulations or confidentialities. We are not claiming to be perfect but we desire the opportunity to illustrate, identify and explore those aspects of our work that we do well, along with those that require further improvement. While many significant achievements occurred during 2003-04, one of the most noteworthy was our obtaining ISO 14001 certification - the world’s highest possible environmental performance standard. Nuclear science by its very nature means we must be extremely precise in our handling and production of radiopharmaceuticals and radioisotopes. With ISO 14001, we now accept the responsibility to ensure that we take the same duty of care with our day-to-day use of everything from drinking water to the quantity of paper used and the energy we consume. What will become apparent as you read this report is that ISO 14001 instils a sense of duty and ownership among every employee to find ways to work smarter, more safely and securely and in ways that leave the smallest footprint possible on the environment. The year ahead presents a new set of challenges and activities, including preparing to say goodbye to the HIFAR, which has served the organisation so well over the past half-century, and to the commissioning of OPAL, the Open Pool Australian Light-water reactor. OPAL will be a state-of-the art nuclear facility that will give us even greater capabilities in developing nuclear medicines and other products. For now, though, we invite you to join us in our first attempt at a consolidated assessment of the core values, strategies and policies across every sphere of our activities, ranging from community and workplace relations to environmental, health and safety practices. We seek to share with you our successes and identify those areas of operation that require further review and refinement. Our objective in this journey is not only to interact with staff, customers and stakeholders, but with our neighbours, who figure greatly in our continued success.
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    Corporate social responsibility report 2004-05
    (Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, 2005) The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
    The essence of this report is showing how we constantly examine all aspects of our multi-faceted operation: to foster successful innovation, identify emerging problems and pursue opportunities for improvement. We learn from those who know us best – our employees, customers, suppliers, research collaborators, business partners and community groups. In addition, we participate in extensive and exhaustive external reviews of our activities. These are conducted by a number of expert regulatory organisations and environmental, quality and financial auditors, as well as in our reporting to the Australian Government. The preparation for commissioning of our new OPAL (Open Pool Australian Light-water) reactor has brought particular public and regulator attention to our work over the last year, and this is set to continue. We also engaged in extensive consultation in the development of our Strategic Directions for the coming five years. As well as setting four Strategic Directions – focusing on research excellence, issues of national importance, our expertise and facilities and our external relationships – we set a new vision, mission and core values. CSR principles are woven throughout our Strategic Directions: in what we do, where we aim to be, and how we will get there. For example, our Strategic Directions give particular emphasis to nuclear medicine. Our mission includes a new element devoted to this core aspect of our work, which benefits hundreds of thousands of patients each year. In our first Strategic Direction we identify excellence as a crucial element of success. We are using our expertise, facilities and intellectual property to help solve critical social, environmental and economic problems in areas such as climate change, water management and cancer. To maximise the reach of our work and minimise duplication, we collaborate with other leading public and private sector organisations in the quest to develop new knowledge, products and services. An example of this is collaboration we have undertaken with government and international agencies, that is key to our counter-terrorism research and services, which are part of the issues of national importance on which we focus in our second Strategic Direction. As Australia’s centre of nuclear expertise and one of this country’s premier scientific facilities, we know expectations of us are high. This report aims to show how we are meeting our stakeholders’ expectations (and where we are not yet up to the mark, what we are doing to change). This effort does not just involve everyone within the organisation – it also requires that we and our key stakeholders work together in a spirit of openness and commitment for the benefit of the entire Australian community.
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    Corporate social responsibility report 2005-05
    (2005) Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation; Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
    Welcome to ANSTO’s second corporate social responsibility (CSR) report. We are firmly committed to reporting on our activities in environmental and social terms, as well as financially. In doing so we aim to be open about issues as well as help the Australian community better understand the benefits of our work.
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    Corporate social responsibility report 2005-06
    (Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, 2006) Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
    What were the highlights of ANSTO’s CSR performance this year? Our increased community interaction was a definite highlight, in terms of reaching out to schools and communities. Important confirmation of the desire for ANSTO’s CSR reporting came with our market research results. We have used this information to modify report content including our CSR commitments, and will continue to seek feedback to better meet stakeholder expectations (our CSR commitments are also now more in line with organisational Strategic Directions). Increased emphasis of safety on site was another highlight. We have decreased the severity of incidents, and in April to June cut our time lost through injury frequency rate by over 50 per cent. A good result, but we can still do better. Construction of a new $1.3 million specially designed site entrance also shows our commitment to staff road safety. What were the social and economic benefits of ANSTO’s scientific research this year? Our sewage recycling ‘bioreactor’ is an invention with high potential for very good environmental outcomes. We have interest from major municipal authorities to trial the technology, with potential savings of tens of millions of dollars. We continue to support local industry with provision of expert services, such as software for the better management of pipeline strength testing and stress analysis for power generation plants. ANSTO research is contributing to our understanding of what is happening with our water, by tracing water flows and understanding salinity. These are major issues which help us understand climate change. Our CeramiSphere technology has the demonstrated ability to make narcotic drugs tamper-proof. We are in negotiation with a major pharmaceutical company to ensure important pain relief drugs are not diverted for illegal use. This approach of ‘spinning-off’ our technology allows ANSTO to adapt its core research into platforms that Australian industry can use to solve specific issues. What role will nuclear science and technology play in Australian science and industry in coming years? There is great excitement in the Australian scientific community. OPAL’s neutron scattering† will ensure this is a key technology for the next decade. It will impact on molecular biology, health and food science research. ANSTO will also play an important role in advising government and community about the benefits of nuclear science and technology, and allowing the nuclear power debate to proceed on the basis of reliable information. What will OPAL do for Australia? As a world-class facility, OPAL will irradiate silicon for semi-conductors, secure radioisotope supplies for nuclear medicine and provide neutrons for research. For example, our food science project uses OPAL’s capacities and is an exciting opportunity to understand more about food. Our neutron scattering facility will help keep scientists in Australia, and attract some back. How is ANSTO working towards nuclear safety and security in our region? We have a long and well earned reputation as a source of advice and expertise for countries in the region. ANSTO leads a major project promoting safety culture in nuclear facilities, with nine regional countries involved. We actively assist regional countries to secure vulnerable radioactive sources, which are a potential danger with the realities of terrorism very much upon us.