News emerged from the Sunshine State on Thursday 27th of a “nation-leading” Geothermal Centre of Excellence planned for Queensland.

$15m from the Queensland State Government over the next five years, with a further $3.3m from the University of Queensland, is ear-marked to “establish a critical mass of scientific and engineering expertise specialising in geothermal power generation which will help make Queensland a hub for developing this exciting new technology.”

Hmmmm. Me thinks the banana- benders may strike some competition from other states and universities, but $18.3m over five years is a serious commitment!