Prime Minister opens Menzies’ world class facilities

Today, the Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull officially opened the Menzies School of Health Research's (Menzies) new facilities valued at $47 million in Darwin.

The multimillion dollar building project includes a new research and administration building on Charles Darwin University’s (CDU) Casuarina campus with teaching facilities, clinical space, a conference room and offices.

Significant works were also carried out at Menzies’ John Mathews Building (JMB) located on the Royal Darwin Hospital campus. The works include expansion of the research laboratory and additional clinical and office space.

Menzies research has significantly reduced mortality from malaria across the Asia-Pacific, driven improvements in care of diabetes in pregnancy and has improved health outcomes for Indigenous Australians with cancer.

 Menzies Director, Professor Alan Cass said the Commonwealth and Territory investment would reap profound benefits:

“The new facilities give Menzies a solid foundation to enhance and expand our multidisciplinary research teams.

“They provide research students with new technology in a stimulating environment that fosters a culture of collaboration and innovation” Professor Cass said.

Menzies is ideally placed to be the national leader in Indigenous and tropical health research.

“We are committed to achieving sustainable health improvements through innovation, real-world research and building the capacity of our health service and community partners.

“This is evident, in key findings from a Deloittes report in 2015 that showed Menzies activities have generated $1.1 billion of total benefit across the Northern Territory, Australia and Asia,” Professor Cass said.

The building project was jointly funded by the Australian Government, the Northern Territory Government and CDU.

“We were very lucky to have the support of our funders which has been vital in achieving the vision of these new facilities,” Professor Cass said.

CDU Vice-Chancellor Professor Simon Maddocks said the buildings secured Menzies’ long-term productive future. 

“The facilities will assist Menzies and CDU to play a significant role in the developing agenda for Northern Australia and to continue to improve the health of all Australians, particularly those living in the Northern Territory,” Professor Maddocks said.

The project’s contemporary features will allow Menzies to support the Australian Government's objective of providing research facilities that are integrated with improving clinical care and with health workforce training.