There was a beef focus among the winners of the Department of Environment and Primary Industries (DEPI) Science Awards announced at Parliament House today.
Victoria agriculture and food security minister Peter Walsh said DEPI relied on science to deliver innovation, economic growth, environmental protection and emergency management.
“Science is an investment in our future,” Mr Walsh said.
“The Victorian Coalition Government is particularly focused on investing in research, development and extension programs to enable farmers to double food and fibre production by 2030 – a goal that many of these award winners are helping to achieve.”
The 2014 Science Award winners are:
*Hugh McKay Partnership Award – DEPI’s Beef and Sheep Networks, led by veterinarian Dr John Webb Ware, have increased the profitability and sustainability of livestock enterprises across Victoria.
*Daniel McAlpine Science Award – DEPI’s EverGraze project, led by Dr Ralph Brehrendt, has helped 4400 producers nationally to improve sustainability through the use of perennial pastures since 2004.
*David Ashton Environmental Science Award – DEPI’s Native Fish Strategy, led by John Koehn, is helping restore native fish to 60 per cent of pre-settlement levels in the Murray-Darling Basin.
*Inaugural Emergency Management Award – DEPI’s response, led by John Barker, to eradicate an incursion of Northern Pacific Seastar at Tidal River in 2012.
*Nancy Mills Postgraduate Thesis Award – Dr Tony Slater for research that will accelerate the process for breeding new potato cultivars to help protect production from disease.
*Samuel Wadham Practice Change Award – DEPI’s BetterBeef Network, led by Darren Hickey, has enabled over 5,000 participants to improve productivity since 2011.
