The Senate today passed a motion from Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown backing the internationally recognised work of the Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre in Victoria.

The motion read:

That the Senate-

(a) notes the extensive and internationally-recognised work of the Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre in Melbourne, Victoria; and

(b) recommends the Government assess the value of upgrading the centre to be a global wildfire research facility.

"The Bushfire CRC provides critical research. Upgrading the Bushfire CRC to a global research centre could lead to assistance in coordinating global aid to bushfire stricken regions not just in Australia, in other bushfire-prone areas such as Greece, Portugal and California," Senator Brown said.