Govt will fund climate change centre

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The federal government will pump more than $100 million into a climate change adaptation centre to map the impact of global warming on Australia.

But state and territory leaders have complained Prime Minister John Howard is not doing enough to confront the environmental threat, warning they will push ahead with greenhouse gas reduction schemes with or without the commonwealth.

Speaking after the meeting of commonwealth and state and territory leaders in Canberra, Mr Howard reiterated he would not put jobs and economic prosperity ahead of all else in considering a response to climate change.

But he would not totally rule out setting targets for emission reductions.

The premiers have called for a carbon emission reduction target of 60 per cent by 2050.

"Jobs and economic prosperity is more important than ideology and particular targets," the prime minister said.

"Having said that ... I have stated my reservations about certain targets, not about targets generically."

Mr Howard said he would wait on a federal task force report on carbon emissions, to be published next month, before commenting further.

The new climate change centre will cost $26 million to establish, with an additional $100 million allocated to the centre over the next five years.

The CSIRO would also receive an extra $44 million to research the science of the impact of climate change.

Victorian Premier Steve Bracks expressed frustration Mr Howard had failed to back the state government's emissions reduction target.

"If we don't have that target, if we don't have that reporting, if we don't have that architecture in that timetable, we have missed the chance to address climate change in this country."

West Australian Premier Alan Carpenter also complained little had been achieved on climate change.

"I don't think we are moving fast enough. I don't think the federal government is moving fast enough, with all due respect," Mr Carpenter said.

NSW Premier Morris Iemma said his state would aim to meet a greenhouse reduction target despite the plan not having the support of the prime minister.

Aside from climate change, the states and federal government agreed on funding for diabetes research, a national accreditation scheme for doctors, infrastructure issues and a literacy and numeracy proposal.

The commonwealth will invest $100 million up front into diabetes work, with that sum matched collectively by the states.

Queensland Premier Peter Beattie - hard hit by the ongoing Dr Death scandal - especially welcomed the accreditation scheme for doctors.

"To have a national system of accreditation is light years ahead of what we had," Mr Beattie said.

_{©Sydney Morning Herald}