Scientist plans to freeze himself

Philip Rhoades hopes to have the country's first cryonics centre built within 6 months, at Cowra. It would be just the third such facility in the world.

An Australian biologist hopes to have the country's first cryonics centre built within six months and plans to freeze himself and his family.

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Philip Rhoades, who will build the underground storage at Cowra, 300km west of Sydney, in NSW, said it would be just the third such facility in the world.

The NSW health department and local council have approved the centre for the personal use of Rhoades and his family. But the biologist and information technology specialist is confident the facility could later secure approval to expand.

"Once they find there is no real health issue, or any other problems with it, and it's out of the main city centres, there shouldn't be an issue," Rhoades said.

Rhoades said the Melbourne-based Cryonics Association of Australia already have more than 30 committed members.

The process which involves freezing people in minus 150 degrees celsius liquid nitrogen, would expand once a local facility was established, he said.

"If we can do it here and do it better and quicker and safer, it makes it a lot more attractive for Australia." Rhoades, 54, admitted the technology is "a bit of a gamble", but he is confident that medical and scientific progress would continue and one day advanced computers and nanotechnology would be able to bring humans back to life.