SOUTHERN NSW DROUGHT HUB TO BROADEN ITS FOCUS
The eight Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hubs will be given $20 million in additional funding
This will enable the Southern NSW Hub in Wagga Wagga to expand its focus to drive agricultural innovation beyond drought
The Hubs will also be able to expand their remit into fisheries and aquaculture
Trialling new technologies and practices is a high priority
This funding builds on the $66 million commitment to the hubs through the Future Drought Fund
The Australian Government is expanding the Southern NSW Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub to catalyse agricultural innovation, drive commercialisation and create jobs.
Minister for Agriculture and Northern Australia David Littleproud said the Government has allocated additional funding for each Hub to develop regionally focused and responsive innovation and adoption strategies and to undertake activities.
“This investment is the next phase in the evolution of the Drought Hubs from being just drought focused to being focused on Innovation more broadly,” Minister Littleproud said.
The Wagga Wagga based hub—led by Charles Sturt University—is one of eight established across the country in April this year through the government’s $5 billion Future Drought Fund.
“These hubs are key to unlocking the potential of the agricultural innovation system, enabling people to collaborate and deliver regionally targeted productivity gains.
“The hubs will build connections between researchers, technology developers, investors, producers and agribusinesses to drive innovation and digital technology uptake across industry and the supply-chain.
“The hubs will always be a shopfront for farmers to access innovative technologies and practices that enable them to be more prepared and resilient to drought.
“Now, as part of the National Agricultural Innovation Agenda, we are expanding their remit into broader agricultural innovation activities and outcomes.”
“We are providing the right conditions to help the agricultural sector to modernise, improve, innovate and grow,” Minister Littleproud said.
Member for Riverina Michael McCormack said innovation was key to our farming sector’s continuing prosperity and Riverina and Central West primary producers contributed significantly to our nation’s economy.
“The Southern NSW Hub will become the leader for agricultural innovation in this part of the state,” Mr McCormack said.
“It provides a physical platform for stakeholders from across our great region to come together and translate research and knowledge to make real impacts on the ground.
“This will support farmers and communities right across the Riverina and Central West.”
For more details visit: www.agriculture.gov.au/ag-farm-food/drought/future-drought-fund/research-adoption-program/adoption-innovation-hubs/southern-new-south-wales-hub
Fast Facts:
Under the National Agricultural Innovation Agenda, the government is providing additional funding to the eight Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hubs to expand their current remit of drought resilience to broader agricultural innovation outcomes.
$20 million in additional funding is available to support activities which will lead to the uptake of innovation by producers, stimulate collaboration and increase commercialisation.
The key activities of the hubs will include:
o developing regionally focused and responsive innovation and adoption strategies
o providing a local “shopfront” to access to knowledge, advice and support
o collating knowledge relevant to the region so it is accessible and available for adoption, and to understand knowledge gaps and priorities
o trialling of new technologies and practices that are high priority
o demonstration, extension and communication to support uptake and scaling up of successful innovations
o working with researchers to improve their ability to co-design research, so it delivers to end-user needs and context
o developing and supporting use of information and decision support tools that help farmers understand and respond to risks and opportunities
o attracting commercial investors and otherwise supporting commercialisation
o building regionally based entrepreneurial skills and leadership
o linking in with the Research and Development Corporations, where it makes sense.
The hubs were established through the forward-thinking Future Drought Fund – a long term, sustained investment of $100 million each year to build drought preparedness and resilience.
An independent Advisory Committee chaired by Mr Brent Finlay provides oversight across the hubs, supporting them to become interconnected agricultural innovation precincts.