Published Tuesday, 03 June, 2008 at 03:14 PM
Minister for Primary Industries and Fisheries
The Honourable Tim Mulherin
Agricultural colleges key to wider workforce skilling initiative
A strategy to expand primary industries’ workforce skilling and training to meet industry needs was announced in the Budget today as part of the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries’ Enhanced Service Delivery and Investment Blueprint.
The Blueprint includes developing an integrated model to deliver science and industry training services in partnership with the Australian Agricultural College Corporation.
It also involves streamlining R&D facilities to build opportunities through co-located science, training and extension facilities.
And it includes expanding the Department’s current extension activities through training partnerships with industry.
The 2008-09 Budget allocation for DPI&F, released today is $342.3 million, up from $332.5 million in 2007-08. The State Government investment in 2008-09 is $259.6 million, up from $248.3 million in 2007-08.
Government agencies including DPI&F, the Department of Natural Resources and Water, the Environmental Protection Agency, Local Government and Climate Change have collectively increased their Budget investment in the rural sector by 4.9 per cent percent, from $886 million in 2007-08 to $930 million in 2008-09.
Minister for Primary Industries and Fisheries Tim Mulherin said a key plank of the budget was that DPI&F would support the national R&D Framework by developing a network of Centres of Research Excellence and taking the lead in research areas where we have key strengths.
“For a start, in 2008-09, we will be supporting investments in research in tropical science and biosecurity in North Queensland,” Mr Mulherin said.
“We will be making North Queensland a focal point for world class research and other areas of the state also will benefit.”
Mr Mulherin said it made good sense that Queensland should focus on developing centres of excellence supported by world-class field and experimental facilities in the agreed priority areas.
“We have already started this process with plans to relocate research activity in Brisbane to the Ecosciences Precinct at Boggo Road and to the Health and Food Sciences Precinct at Coopers Plains,” he said.
“We are now looking at regional Queensland where we will develop centres of excellence where staff will undertake highly innovative research at a scale and a focus that will lead to national and international recognition and tangible outcomes for Queensland’s primary industries.
“The field and experimental facilities supporting these centres include the Queensland Centre for Crop Development at Redlands; the Centre for Advanced Animal Science at Gatton, which is probably the world’s best animal research centre examining nutrition, and a redevelopment of Bribie Island Research Centre to accommodate partners such as CSIRO.
“A similar building of capacities regionally, particularly in North Queensland, will focus on emerging opportunities in tropical innovation; respond to anticipated industry expansion associated with the Northern Economic Development Triangle plan; and provide an enhanced biosecurity response capacity.”
Media: David Potter 3239 6530, 0409 305 662
The Blueprint includes developing an integrated model to deliver science and industry training services in partnership with the Australian Agricultural College Corporation.
It also involves streamlining R&D facilities to build opportunities through co-located science, training and extension facilities.
And it includes expanding the Department’s current extension activities through training partnerships with industry.
The 2008-09 Budget allocation for DPI&F, released today is $342.3 million, up from $332.5 million in 2007-08. The State Government investment in 2008-09 is $259.6 million, up from $248.3 million in 2007-08.
Government agencies including DPI&F, the Department of Natural Resources and Water, the Environmental Protection Agency, Local Government and Climate Change have collectively increased their Budget investment in the rural sector by 4.9 per cent percent, from $886 million in 2007-08 to $930 million in 2008-09.
Minister for Primary Industries and Fisheries Tim Mulherin said a key plank of the budget was that DPI&F would support the national R&D Framework by developing a network of Centres of Research Excellence and taking the lead in research areas where we have key strengths.
“For a start, in 2008-09, we will be supporting investments in research in tropical science and biosecurity in North Queensland,” Mr Mulherin said.
“We will be making North Queensland a focal point for world class research and other areas of the state also will benefit.”
Mr Mulherin said it made good sense that Queensland should focus on developing centres of excellence supported by world-class field and experimental facilities in the agreed priority areas.
“We have already started this process with plans to relocate research activity in Brisbane to the Ecosciences Precinct at Boggo Road and to the Health and Food Sciences Precinct at Coopers Plains,” he said.
“We are now looking at regional Queensland where we will develop centres of excellence where staff will undertake highly innovative research at a scale and a focus that will lead to national and international recognition and tangible outcomes for Queensland’s primary industries.
“The field and experimental facilities supporting these centres include the Queensland Centre for Crop Development at Redlands; the Centre for Advanced Animal Science at Gatton, which is probably the world’s best animal research centre examining nutrition, and a redevelopment of Bribie Island Research Centre to accommodate partners such as CSIRO.
“A similar building of capacities regionally, particularly in North Queensland, will focus on emerging opportunities in tropical innovation; respond to anticipated industry expansion associated with the Northern Economic Development Triangle plan; and provide an enhanced biosecurity response capacity.”
Media: David Potter 3239 6530, 0409 305 662