Australian Government priorities
The Australian Government’s key priorities for rural RD&E are identified in the:
- National Research Priorities announced in December 2002, and their associated priority goals
- Rural R&D Priorities announced to the RDCs by the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry in May 2007.
Table 3 shows how the Rural R&D Priorities and corresponding National Research Priorities are aligned to the GRDC’s six strategic themes for RD&E investment in 2012–17. Financial resource allocations will be provided on a yearly basis in the annual operational plan.
Table 3 Alignment between GRDC investment themes and Australian Government priorities
| Rural R&D Priorities | National Research Priorities | GRDC themes |
|---|---|---|
| Productivity and Adding Value Improve the productivity and profitability of existing industries and support the development of viable new industries. |
Promoting and Maintaining Good Health | 4 Advancing profitable farming systems 2 Improving crop yield 3 Protecting your crop |
| Supply Chain and Markets Better understand and respond to domestic and international market and consumer requirements and improve the flow of such information through the whole supply chain, including to consumers. |
1 Meeting market requirements 6 Building skills and capacity |
|
| Natural Resource Management Support effective management of Australia’s natural resources to ensure primary industries are both economically and environmentally sustainable. |
An Environmentally Sustainable Australia | 5 Improving your farm resource base 4 Advancing profitable farming systems |
| Climate Variability and Climate Change Build resilience to climate variability and adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change. |
||
| Biosecurity Protect Australia’s community, primary industries and environment from biosecurity threats. |
Safeguarding Australia | 3 Protecting your crop |
| Supporting the Rural R&D Priorities | ||
|---|---|---|
| Innovation Skills Improve the skills to undertake research and apply its findings. |
Frontier Technologies for Building and Transforming Australian Industries | 6 Building skills and capacity |
| Technology Promote the development of new and existing technologies. |
2 Improving crop yield 3 Protecting your crop |
|