Three scientific projects involving scientists from Industry & Investment NSW to protect pine plantations from exotic pests, track large predatory fish, and collect important forest data have received $900,000 in research funding.

The projects have received funding from the Australian Research Council Linkage Grants as well as funding from the NSW Government and industry.

Executive Director, Science, Innovation & Performance at Industry & Investment NSW, Renata Brooks, congratulated the scientists involved.

"These are three very important projects, which will all help improve our environment, enhance our natural resources and benefit industry," Ms Brooks said.

"I am pleased this important research by our dedicated scientists has been recognised with this funding.

"I would like to congratulate the three scientists from Industry & Investment NSW involved with the research, including Dr Angus Carnegie, Professor Charles Gray and Dr Russell Turner.

"The projects are administered by universities and this success reflects our strong partnership with Charles Sturt University and the University of New South Wales in these areas."

Protecting Australias pine plantations from exotic pests and climate change
Dr Angus Carnegie - $285,000 over three years.

• The project will protect one of Australias most important primary industries from the dual threat of exotic pests and climate change.
• The exotic pest, Sirex wood wasp, has been well controlled until the recent increase of ips bark beetles.
• Trees that have been affected by drought, fire or storms are especially vulnerable to sirex wasp attack.
• Pine plantations represent 57% of Australia's $3.3 billion forestry industry and are hugely important as direct and indirect employers.
• It is estimated that this novel pest management approach could save the industry at least $188 million each year, based on a conservative estimate of reducing losses by 10%.

Tracking large predatory fish
Professor Charles Gray - $450,000 over three years.
Funding also provided from Recreational Fishing Trust.

• This project will monitor the movements of large predatory fish in estuaries and the coastal ocean including mulloway, flathead and bream.
• These fish are important to recreational anglers, not only for their trophy status but also for their productiveness and contribution to future fishing.
• Remarkably, the distribution and movements of large fish in estuaries and the coastal ocean are relatively unknown.
• Scientists will determine hot-spots for the fish, where they live and breed, and their migratory patterns.

Forest Inventory using Waveform Remote Sensing
Dr Russell Turner - $167,779 over three years.

• This two year research project will investigate the use of airborne laser scanners (also known as LiDAR) for assessing biomass and wood volume in 240,000 hectares of white Cypress Pine forest near Baradine.
• This will be the first study in Australia to utilise full-waveform LiDAR systems that have only recently become commercially available.
• Full-waveform LiDAR is capable of rapidly collecting millions of laser strike returns from a forest and this detailed 3D "point cloud" data can be used to count the number of trees present and to determine their size and spacing.
• Hopefully this innovative approach to forest inventory will deliver better sampling accuracy and objectivity and will include the development of a pioneering computer program to harness the potential of full-waveform LiDAR data.
• It will enable the efficient measurement of thousands of forest resource field plots, instead of the current few hundred capable with conventional ground-based surveys.
• The research will benefit Forests NSW as well as the many industries that require reliable forest resource data, such as national parks, emergency services, fire fighting authorities and private plantation growers.

Media contact: Lyndall Hilder 6391 3312 or 0409 383 423