Sheep industry research finds national base at UNE

January 02, 2007

The Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) supporting the Australian sheep industry is to be based - like the CRCs for the beef and poultry industries - at the University of New England.

The Federal Minister for Education, Science and Training, the Hon. Julie Bishop MP, announced the location of the new CRC for Sheep Industry Innovation (Sheep CRC) last month. The new CRC takes over from the Sheep CRC set up five years ago and based at CSIRO's Pastoral Research Laboratory near Armidale. Ms Bishop said the Government had approved funding of $35.5 million for the new CRC over the next seven years.

James Rowe, Professor of Animal Science at UNE, was the founding Chief Executive Officer of the Sheep CRC and, as CEO designate, will lead the establishment of the new CRC, which will begin operations on July 1, 2007.

The Vice-Chancellor of UNE, Professor Alan Pettigrew, said: "It is an amazing achievement to have the three livestock-based CRCs with their headquarters at UNE. I am keen to ensure that there is close cooperation between the new Sheep CRC and the Beef and Poultry CRCs. It is a wonderful opportunity to capitalise on the consequent synergies." Professor Margaret Sedgley, Executive Dean of the Faculty of The Sciences at UNE, pointed out that the location of the new Sheep CRC at UNE would have positive consequences not only for rural industry research, but also for teaching.

As well as the headquarters of three CRCs, UNE houses the Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit, Sheep Genetics Australia, the International Livestock Resources and Information Centre, offices of several other CRCs, and several Institutes serving the agricultural and livestock industries.

Professor John Gibson (pictured here), Director of The Institute for Genetics and Bioinformatics at UNE, coordinated the planning for the new CRC, which involved 20 organisations and hundreds of industry and research professionals. "The commitment of UNE to planning for the CRC (including the location of its headquarters) reflects the University's established position as a leader of innovation for Australian agriculture and rural societies," Professor Gibson said.

"The new Sheep CRC brings together for the first time all the key players in the pathway from innovation to delivery," Professor Gibson continued, "with the sole objective of helping the sheep industry achieve a bright future."

Australian Wool Innovation Ltd (AWI) and Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) have each committed $10 million to the new CRC. This, together with the Commonwealth's contribution and the in-kind allocation of research staff, means that the CRC will have resources worth more than $120 million over the next seven years. There are 20 participating organisations, including AWI, MLA, the Australian Meat Processor Corporation, other industry bodies, government departments, and commercial companies.

UNE will continue to play a key role in an industry-wide education program funded through the Sheep CRC. There will be a new emphasis on postgraduate research and its alignment with major projects within the sheep industry, and the development of new training courses for agricultural consultants.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at January 2, 2007 02:20 PM