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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-02-16 Daily Xml
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SCIENCE APPOINTMENTS

The Hon. J.M. GAZZOLA (15:11): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries a question about scientific expertise in South Australia.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.M. GAZZOLA: As those of us with an interest in science, like yourself, are aware, the road from benchtop to application may not be an easy one. My question, minister, is: will you tell the council about new appointments made to strengthen our scientific workforce?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Tourism, Minister for the Status of Women) (15:12): I thank the honourable member for his most important question. Members would be aware that the South—

The PRESIDENT: Order! I remind that cameraman that that camera is only to be trained on people on their feet. If I see you doing anything else, I will have you removed. Minister.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: Members would be aware that the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) has been a longstanding contributor to research and development in primary industries in South Australia and, indeed, an important national player also.

For example, last year, Dr Mark Sosnowski, a SARDI senior researcher, led a team of Australian researchers from the National Plant Biosecurity Cooperative Research Centre and American plant biosecurity colleagues who undertook an offshore trial in which they proved that it was possible to exterminate a dangerous grapevine disease in the vineyard without the need to rip out and burn vines. This is an example of how the important work undertaken by SARDI is supporting industry and maintaining South Australia's position at the cutting edge of scientific research—research that is leveraged off the significant skills of SARDI researchers.

I am very proud to announce that we recently boosted the areas of animal welfare and sustainable fisheries development with two new high-level appointments in SARDI. The first of these is Professor Alan Tilbrook, who joins SARDI from the Department of Physiology at Monash University—my old stomping ground—as the new SARDI Research Chief of Livestock and Farming Systems, based at Roseworthy. The second appointment sees leading sustainable fisheries scientist, Dr Gavin Begg, appointed as SARDI's Research Chief of Aquatic Sciences, based at West Beach.

These appointments reinforce South Australia's commitment to take primary industries research to new levels. Professor Tilbrook's strong background in animal reproductive technologies and welfare science and Dr Begg's focus on advancing sustainable fishing practices will be of immense value to South Australia's industry and the community generally.

Professor Tilbrook, who has also worked with the Animal Research Institute, Victorian Institute of Animal Science, Werribee, as a senior research scientist and head of the reproductive technology section, is a founding member and Deputy Director of the Animal Welfare Science Centre. His appointment repositions South Australia and provides us with the opportunity to lead animal welfare science in the national framework.

South Australia already has a central research role for intensive agriculture, most notably in pigs and poultry, with the Pig and Poultry Production Institute, and the CRC for an Internationally Competitive Australian Pork Industry, hosted by SARDI at the University of Adelaide's Roseworthy campus. These intensive industries recognise absolutely the imperative of animal welfare and the need to fund science to improve animal welfare as well as productivity measures. The two outcomes go hand in hand. Healthy animals produce more for less, and SARDI has the scientific expertise and research facilities to become an innovator in this area.

Another of South Australia's great strengths is its fisheries and aquaculture industries, whether it is sustainable fisheries, such as the South Australian Spencer Gulf king prawns, or world-first aquaculture research from the aquaculture industry in Port Lincoln. Dr Begg, who has led the development of science strategy and fostered effective and stable research collaborations at the state, national and international level for over 20 years, will build on SARDI's enviable reputation for strong research.

Dr Begg was a senior manager for research and co-management at the Australian Fisheries Management Authority and has held international research positions at the Marine Research Institute in Iceland and the National Marine Fisheries Centre in Woods Hole, USA, where he worked on the population dynamics and stock structure of groundfish stocks in the North Atlantic. In recent years, he has led the ABARES Fisheries and Quantitative Sciences Branch at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, where he was head of the Australian science delegation to the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna.

I am very pleased to welcome these two extremely distinguished scientists to South Australia and look forward to their contribution in future to South Australia's research, development and application efforts.

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