New Zealand will formally support for Australia's bid to host the world's largest radio telescope.
Prime Minister Helen Clark has announced New Zealand will offer strong support and campaign for Australia's bid for the Square Kilometre Array (SKA).
Australian Prime Minister Rudd welcomed New Zealand support in formal bilateral talks held in Auckland.
"This 21st century project would use our region's intellectual and data infrastructure resources to push the boundaries of scientific enquiry and exploration", Clark said.
"Hosting the SKA would be a hugely exciting development for Australasia."
Clark says Rudd and her agreed to establish a joint officials group to look at how New Zealand can best participate in the design and establishment of a SKA hosted by Australia.
The group will investigate the costs and benefits of New Zealand engaging in the SKA project.
"There are significant commercial and technology spin-offs from world-leading science projects. We need to investigate fully what opportunities the SKA could present for New Zealand infrastructure and high technology businesses so that we can take informed decisions on New Zealand's role," Clark said.
The Square Kilometre Array or SKA is a "next generation" radio telescope and would be more than 50 times more sensitive than any radio telescope currently built.
If Australasia wins the global bid to host the SKA, its centre would be in Western Australia.
Observatory sites thousands of kilometres from the centre (the outer spirals), including potentially in New Zealand, would be linked by high speed data connectivity.
The hosting site for the SKA will be decided in 2011/12 by global scientists. Australasia's competitor to host the SKA is a coalition of six Southern African countries.
