WAARC, a state government funding initiative to catalyse agricultural research in northern Western Australia

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

6-2025

Conference Title

XII International Rangeland Congress 2025: Working Together for our Global Rangelands Future

Place of Publication

Adelaide

ISBN

978-0-646-72121-7

Keywords

collaboration, agricultural research, governance, northern Australian agriculture

Disciplines

Agricultural Education | Agriculture

Abstract

There is broad agreement that research and development is an investment in the future viability and success of an industry. This view has underpinned the establishment of the Western Australian Agricultural Research Collaboration (WAARC). This Western Australian (WA) state government initiative is designed to foster collaboration among WA’s participating research organisations (DPIRD, CSIRO, Grower Group Alliance and the universities of Curtin, Murdoch and WA to support WA-centric new projects and research capacity building. WAARC is seeking to support longer-horizon research developing and integrating new areas of science with potential for industry application and to enhance early-career development opportunities for researchers. Its creation is a response to the diminution of a consolidated research capacity in WA. The WAARC initiative currently comprises six program of work, all of which are potentially relevant to the sustainable intensification of agricultural production in northern Australia. Of these, the Northern Agriculture program focuses exclusively on developing research and research capacity in this region. The objective of the program is to increase the Gross Value of Production through intensification of agriculture by 2030 focusing on sustainable growth of irrigated agriculture and the northern beef industry. A key priority in the Northern Agriculture program is the integration of irrigated agriculture and beef production. Growth in agriculture in northern WA focuses on intensifying the cattle industry and optimising irrigated agriculture, ensuring that this is achieved in a way that is environmentally and socially responsible. A related key priority is capturing economic benefit of growth by First Nations’ pastoral and related enterprises.

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