The funding would help the IACRC transition into Invasive Animal Solutions, which develops technologies to protect Australia’s biodiversity assets and long-term food security.
VICTORIAN farmers have praised a five-year $20 million Coalition commitment to continue co-ordinating Australia’s battle to control the rabbit, carp, wild dog, fox and other damaging pest control programs.
Deputy Prime Minister and Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce announced today that a re-elected Coalition Government would continue to fund the Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre program, which was due to run out of funding in June next year.
“Pests are a big problem for all farmers and it doesn’t matter if you’re a livestock producer, grain grower, dairy farmer, or fruit grower,” Victorian Farmers Federation President Peter Tuohey said.
“We all have to deal with wild dogs or rabbits or carp or any other number of invasive animals, so more funding for this program is terrific news for agriculture.”
The funding would help the IACRC transition into Invasive Animal Solutions, which develops technologies to protect Australia’s biodiversity assets and long-term food security.
The aim of the IACRC is to become a permanent, self-funded national research institute dedicated to delivering humane and efficient pest control methods.
“Australia has a strong reputation as a nation that takes biosecurity seriously, but right now we’re experiencing one of the worst outbreaks of pests we’ve ever had,” Mr Tuohey said.
“It’s impacting our food security and our agricultural productivity; we need serious action and committing extra funding to the CRC is a good way to go about it.”
