Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Matt Canavan has unveiled almost $4 million worth of industry-driven projects which will create jobs and wealth in the north of the nation.
Joining members of the Cooperative Research Centre for Developing Northern Australia (CRCNA) in Townsville, Minister Canavan detailed the five projects which have received funding.
“These projects have been funded as part of the CRCNA’s first open funding call and include a really diverse mix of research interests across the agricultural, health services delivery and Traditional Owner-led business development sectors,” Minister Canavan said.
“All these projects are going to underpin growth in new and developing industries in northern Australia and create new jobs for people living in the north and further afield.”
CRCNA Chair Sheriden Morris said the CRCNA has co-contributed more than $1.6 million towards these projects.
“One of these projects is carrying out a broad examination of the potential to expand the north’s horticultural industries, looking at established and emerging horticultural industries to assess what opportunities exist to expand into new high margin, targeted Asian markets.”
“It perfectly illustrates how these projects are bringing together research leaders and industry representatives to find innovative solutions to industry problems and beat any barriers to investment and development across northern Australia.”
The following projects are covered by today’s announcement:
- Building horticulture production knowledge and capacity within Indigenous enterprise (Growcom- total project value $185,090)
- Diversified Northern Australia land sector development framework (North Australian Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance – total project value $1,100,177)
- Building the Traditional Owner led bush products enterprises with global supply chains (CSIRO – total project value $266,738)
- Establishing eye screening services to prevent avoidable blindness in remote Northern Australia (CSIRO – total project value $1,700,000)
- Evaluation of the potential to expand horticultural industries in Northern Australia ( UQ QAAFI – total project value $450,637)
In addition to the projects funded from the October funding call, the CRCNA is working with key industries and researchers across Northern Australia to undertake a number of situational analysis studies for key agricultural sectors, which will identify future research and development opportunities.
The CRCNA has announced eleven projects since December last year, with combined CRC funding, partner cash and in-kind contributions exceeding $9.9 million.
Media enquiries
Carla Keith, CRCNA Communications Manager 0499 330 051
