Wednesday, 12 September 2001

Federal Environment Minister, Senator Robert Hill officially launched a new $18.2 M cooperative research program for managing Australia's Tropical Savannas, in Darwin today. The new CRC brings together researchers from across northern Australia.

The new Cooperative Research Centre for Tropical Savannas Management ¾ based in Darwin and Townsville¾ will develop new management practices and techniques to ensure the North's savannas remain productive and healthy. The program will run for the next seven years and will further develop the sustainable land-management research and education of the existing Tropical Savannas CRC.

The Centre will have headquarters in Darwin and staff in Townsville, Charters Towers, Mareeba, Cairns and Cape York as well as the Northern Territory and Western Australia.

Significantly, the pastoral industry and an alliance of Aboriginal land councils have joined the new Centre as full contributing partners. According to the new Centre’s CEO, Mr John Childs, this will greatly enhance the relevance and application of the new program. The University of Queensland is also joining as a core partner. Their involvement will considerably strengthen the Centre’s program in regional development.

There will be considerable pressure to further develop northern Australia, Mr Childs said. "The work of this new CRC will contribute to this development being sustainable," he said. "It will also provide education and training to increase employment in northern Australia."

In Queensland, the new partners join the departments of Primary Industries, Natural Resources and the Environmental Protection Agency as well as James Cook University and CSIRO. In all, there are 16 partner agencies in the new CRC, crossing state and territory borders across the north.

The new Centre has two new program leaders based in north Queensland: Dr Jill Landsberg, based at JCU, Cairns Campus, and Dr John Ludwig, based at CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems in Atherton.