SCIENTISTS from Murdoch University’s recently launched Western Australian Tropical Research Initiative (WATRI) have returned from the state’s north optimistic for the future after talks with government and industry bodies.

Murdoch researchers Bernie Dell, John Howieson and David Doepel attended the Australian Bureau of Agriculture Research and Economics conference in Kununurra from during May and held discussions with potential partners on research and development projects in the top end.

The Western Australian Tropical Research Initiative is moving moving from strength to strength following productive meetings with regional stakeholders / Image: Istockphoto

WATRI interim director Dr Richard Bell says discussions were promising, with various groups expressing an interest in working closely with WATRI.

“Our representatives were able to meet with Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Development and Northern Australia Gary Gray, who was very supportive of the concept of WATRI, expressing an interest in engaging closely on our initiatives with the top end of Australia.

“We were also able to invite Charles Darwin University Professor of Environmental Research Steven Garnett to come and join us and look at what opportunities exist for closer collaboration between the West Australian research communities and researchers in the North.

“We spent a day and half discussing opportunities and plan to visit Darwin later in the year to continue those discussions.”

Murdoch University launched the WATRI initiative earlier this year, with the aim of bringing together the state’s research and development community to focus on Australia’s tropical regions.

At the time of the launch, Dr Bell indicated WATRI would have a broad multi-disciplinary approach to solving diverse problems such as agricultural sustainability and community development, and he now says the immediate future is becoming clearer after this round of talks.

“There were a number of project ideas discussed. The expansion of the Ord River Irrigation Scheme is about to kick off with over 200 million of state government funding in addition to 190 million of federal government funding,” says Dr Bell.

“There will be a lot of investment not only in getting the irrigation stage two up and running and the associated infrastructure, but also the additional developments in the region around community education, health and indigenous issues.”

Dr Bell says the multi-disciplinary approach of WATRI will provide for the involvement of experts from a number of fields to solve complex issues.

“From a conservation point of view, management of fire in the Kimberley is one of the larger issues however it is a problem also for safety and pastoral value for grazing as well as involving indigenous knowledge regarding the management of the eco systems.

“One of the great things about this conference is we were able to meet not only with departmental bodies but also with local growers and get their perspective on agriculture, the economy of the Ord and some of the constraints that affect them which is very important to us.”

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