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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-05-03 Daily Xml
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Struan Research Centre

Adjourned debate on motion of Hon. N.J. Centofanti:

That this council—

1. Notes that the Struan Research Centre, located 16 kilometres south of Naracoorte, is a world-class research and development centre, providing an important part of our state's historical and current research and development into agriculture as well as being a hub for agricultural technology;

2. Notes that on 4 November 2022, a fire ripped through the offices and laboratories of the Struan Research Centre causing significant damage;

3. Acknowledges that the fires, while devastating, provide an opportunity to renew and reinvigorate the centre; and

4. Calls on the Malinauskas Labor government to use this opportunity to provide funding to expand the functions of the centre to include training and education, to better benefit agriculture in our state.

(Continued from 22 March 2023.)

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (18:08): I move an amendment to this motion, as follows:

Leave out paragraph 4 and insert new paragraph as follows:

4. Notes the Malinauskas Labor government's intention to use this opportunity to renew the research centre to maximise the benefit to agriculture in our state.

The Struan Research Centre near Naracoorte is an important research and development centre. Members may be aware that it is focused on agtech, or agricultural technology, crop agronomy, revegetation, cattle and sheep genetics, grazing management, meat production and quality, animal welfare and behaviour and livestock nutrition.

The research centre is part of the historic Struan House site where staff from Regions, Major Programs and Biosecurity areas within the Department of Primary Industries and Regions SA are located. It has an incredibly important role in the continued growth and success of the agricultural and livestock sectors that contribute so much to our state's economy. The centre has also been used for government and industry workshops and training sessions on a range of important agricultural matters, as well as the Struan and Kybybolite Best Practice Demonstration Farm Field Day, allowing for hands-on experience for the sector with important and emerging agtech.

As we know, agtech has the potential to return $2.6 billion per year to the state's economy and to give producers the ability to increase productivity, which only serves to highlight the importance of the centre's ongoing work in this area. Late last year, in November, a fire destroyed part of the facility. Some office areas were lost and a small amount of scientific equipment, and also some unprocessed research samples and farm records. Fortunately, most of the research was digitised and therefore was unaffected. Work at the facility continues, with farm and research staff being moved within the historic building, Struan House, and a laboratory has been upgraded in an associated building.

Currently, the insurance claim for the damage caused by the fire is still being finalised and, while it is probably premature for the member to be calling on the government to provide funding to expand into different functions, there is an opportunity through planning—the planning that is underway—to ensure that the Struan Research Centre and facilities are rebuilt and repurposed in a way that meets the current and future needs of both the department and, most importantly, the agricultural industries of our state.

The amendment that I am proposing removes the reference, in the original motion, to providing funding to expand the functions of the centre to include training and education. The reason for that includes the fact that training and education does already occur there. I have already mentioned some of the training that is involved, and I know that there are workshops held for producers and there is the ability to be able to learn about, for example, agtech and other items.

Referring to the honourable mover of this motion's speech on the topic, when she moved this, she did not outline the sorts of training and education that she is seeking to have added. Therefore, I contend that paragraph 4 of the motion is at best ambiguous and at worst factually incorrect. However, I think it is incredibly important that the chamber does note the Malinauskas Labor government's intention to use this opportunity—which has come out of something that is, of course, very traumatic and devastating—to renew the research centre to maximise the benefit to agriculture in our state.

Coming back to the issue of training and education, I would draw the mover's attention to training for agriculture in our regional areas. I am not sure if she is aware that last month a new agricultural hub at TAFE SA's Mount Gambier campus was launched, which is providing training in horticulture and agriculture, conservation and ecosystem management, all of which are incredibly important. That program is a joint initiative between the federal and state governments. I was delighted to be there with Minister Blair Boyer, a member in the other place, to actually launch that.

I think there are always opportunities to improve, and what we are looking at and working on at the moment is working very closely with the staff at the Struan Research Centre in terms of looking at what their future needs will be: the infrastructure needs for a modern research centre, whether there are opportunities to improve and what that might look like. We are continuing, as I mentioned, to work through the insurance claim to enable the rebuilding to commence. Once that insurance claim has been fully resolved we will be able to move into more specifics about how we will rebuild the Struan Research Centre so that it continues to hold its place as a renowned research and development facility.

The Hon. R.A. SIMMS (18:13): I rise to speak in favour of the motion. In November of last year, a devastating fire tore through the Struan Research Centre in the state's South-East, causing an estimated $5 million in damages. The centre represents a pivotal element of South Australia's agricultural research and development.

The research conducted at the Struan Research Centre is absolutely vital, not only to the future of South Australia's agricultural industry but in its broader implications globally. Climate change is an ongoing existential threat for our state and our nation. With the global population booming and the amount of arable land ever dwindling, it is more important than ever that we explore alternative, sustainable farming practices.

Further, in supporting this research we support the economic benefits that this industry will bring to our state. Beyond the wonderful produce that we are fortunate enough to be able to produce here in South Australia, the industry supports the jobs of over 70,000 people in South Australia alone. We have been given an opportunity to lead the way in agricultural research, and from the Greens' perspective it is important that we grasp that with both hands.

The expansion and revitalisation of this centre represents an important step for our state in combating the growing environmental threats faced by our country. I want to commend the Hon. Nicola Centofanti for putting this motion forward and for highlighting this very important issue. The Greens will be supporting the motion in its original form and not supporting the amendment moved by the government.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (Leader of the Opposition) (18:15): I would like to thank the honourable members for their contributions. I would like to thank the Hon. Robert Simms for his support of this motion. I also acknowledge the contribution from the minister, but I do find it incredibly disappointing that the minister has brought an amendment forward to this chamber without notifying the mover of the motion and possibly other members in the chamber. I would have thought it would be common courtesy to notify members of the amendment prior to the day of voting, particularly given that there was plenty of time to consider the motion, as I informed members many weeks ago that I would be bringing this motion to a vote today.

I note that in the past the minister and indeed many of her colleagues in the government have had no hesitation in reprimanding other members in this place for not following such a procedure, and that includes those who have had significantly less chamber experience than the minister herself. The opposition will not be supporting the minister's amendment because, in my opinion, the amendment waters down my motion and certainly changes the intent of the motion.

South Australia is known globally for producing high-quality food and fibre. Our products are safe and often allotted a premium price tag. We have earned this badge through exceptional agricultural and horticultural research and development. Genomics, agronomy, hydrological optimisation, zoology, entomology and microbiology are just some of the drivers that continue to keep South Australia a leader in primary industry innovation.

Whilst I acknowledge the investment the current government has made in vocational courses in Mount Gambier's TAFE—and indeed they are a welcome start—the opposition understands that the knowledge gap, not just the skills gap, for our primary industry sector is widening. The topics I listed prior have the potential to be industry altering, not just industry sustaining. They can accelerate production, profits and sustainability. Over the weekend, I was reading about a Tasmanian family who are trialling rare bean varieties on their farm, testing them for future climate resilience. Early in April, I had a three-hour discussion with a farming group from the USA about their ongoing research and development work in maximising macronutrients and water efficiencies in over a dozen different crops and orchards.

We must acknowledge that TAFE is not the be-all and end-all of education. Industry-operated and led research and development is critical to the success of agriculture and, indeed, for primary industries in our state. Equally important is the education and training in agriculture, in partnership with industry, that ensures that the next generation can have the opportunity to make a lasting contribution to the agricultural industry into the future. In a prior iteration, the Struan Research Centre was a joint research and teaching facility, and with leadership, vision and drive it could be that again. I therefore seek the support of the council on this important motion.

Amendment negatived; motion carried.

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