THE Tropical Savannas Cooperative Research Centre submitted a
business case to the CRC Secretariat for a new CRC for Tropical
Savannas Futures, but despite making it to a short list of 20
proposals, our case was not successful. The new CRC aimed to create
opportunities for Natural Resource Management and environmental
service-based industries and enterprises across northern
Australia — to enhance sustainable land management, as
well as the north's industrial, commercial and economic growth.
This would have been done with four research programs.
- Sustainable beef production: aimed to enable high
standards of resource stewardship and increased production,
improved product recognition and value.
- Resource access and offsets for major developers and land
managers: would have developed options for commercial delivery
of environmental services (such as the West Arnhem Land Fire
Management Agreement, see article link below). These services aimed
to produce regional social, economic and environmental benefits,
principally through the mining and energy sectors.
- Indigenous and remote community livelihoods: aimed to
build new and stronger enterprises and employment opportunities for
remote communities and Indigenous people.
- Indigenous engagement and capacity building: would have
matched the above activities to Indigenous aspirations and
capacity, and designed projects to increase opportunities for
Indigenous participation and development.
You can read about the
Tropical Savannas Futures proposal in our Centre
section.
Despite this setback, there is still a need for research that
addresses these areas, particularly now that there is a new focus
on the agricultural potential of north Australia given the dry
conditions further south. Research is required that develops and
applies innovative technologies and knowledge systems; identifies
and analyses economic opportunities arising from provision of
environmental services; informs policy and institutional
arrangements; builds knowledge, skills and human capability to
support regional economic growth; and assesses employment
opportunities for local people, and education and training
implications.
The experience of the Tropical Savannas CRC has shown that this
research can be very productive if it is built around practical
experiences in northern Australia, draws on people from different
sectors, regions and internationally, and structures research
programs to accommodate regional differences. All programs benefit
from involving end-users in designing, conducting and implementing
research.
The CRC will continue until mid–2008 and will investigate
ways to support the research and user engagement model it has
established into the future.
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