TOWNSVILLE has been named as the new home base for the Northern Australian Cooperative Research Centre (CRC).
The $75 million Northern Australian CRC was unveiled in the Coalition government’s Northern Development White Paper released in June last year as part of a suite of funding measures including a $600 million roads package.
The CRC will conduct research projects dedicated to the northern region’s economic prosperity partnering governments and the private sector for work in the agriculture and food industries and tropical and remote health.
Senior government officials announced Townsville on the Queensland north-east coast, would be the new CRC’s headquarters.
Industry, Innovation and Science Minister Christopher Pyne said the new CRC would fund research to support the development of technologies and automation for agriculture and aquaculture aimed at addressing challenges unique to the north.
He said it would also focus on improving human health and models of care in the tropics and identifying the potential for exports and value chain support and development.
Resources, Energy and Northern Australia Minister Josh Frydenberg said it was important the CRC focused on areas where the north had particular strength.
Mr Frydenberg said with Asia's burgeoning middle class on its doorstep, significant opportunities existed to commercialise research and to develop and establish new industries in those fields.
He said the CRC’s funding would not be restricted to its Townsville headquarters but would be used to support industry-led collaborative research projects across the region.
Northern Australia Minister Matthew Canavan said the CRC would work closely with Industry Growth Centres sharing knowledge, experience and resources to improve the competitiveness, productivity and sustainability of northern Australian industries.
“This investment is a vote of confidence in the future of Townsville,” he said.
“It builds on Townsville’s strengths in education and industry and it is just the kick-start that the Townsville economy needs to create jobs.”
Queensland LNP MP Ewen Jones said the announcement was a big win for Townsville and showed the government’s commitment to Northern Australia.
“Now that the Northern Australia CRC has been established it joins the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility – based in Cairns - and the Office of Northern Australia – based in Darwin - as the three forces driving productivity and boosting jobs and growth in the north,” he said.
“With world class universities, CSIRO, TropWATER and NQ Dry Tropics all based here, the drive we will provide to get the best results in agriculture and the environment.
“Townsville will be at the forefront of our drive to develop policy which will see industry and agriculture flourish while protecting our land and the Great Barrier Reef.”
Townsville based Queensland LNP Senator Ian Macdonald said Labor was elected the government’s investment and the CRC would disappear.
“The work we have done to get the Northern Whitepaper implemented will be for nought,” he said.
Townsville Enterprise Chief Executive Officer Patricia O’Callaghan said her group advocated for the CRC to be based in Townsville, with key partners and welcomed the decision announced today.
“This is a big win for our region’s industries from cattle in the North West and Gulf regions, to sugar and horticultural products in the Burdekin and Hinchinbrook areas; from our fisheries offshore to our burgeoning land-based aquaculture industry,” she said.
“This decision will ensure that the infrastructure, economic development and investment decisions that will shape Northern Australia occur in the region’s largest and most prosperous city.”
