Wagga Wagga alliance an investment in innovative agriculture

The Department of Primary Industries' (DPI) Wagga Wagga Agricultural Institute and Charles Sturt University have formed a new alliance that creates one of Australia's largest and most influential agricultural research partnerships.

Formation of the Wagga Wagga Agricultural Innovation Park creates a critical mass of 150 researchers working across a broad range of disciplines.

It is an historic agreement that sees a formal partnership between the Wagga Wagga Agricultural Institute, which has a long and distinguished history in agricultural research, and Charles Sturt University, Australia's leading regional university.

Wagga Wagga Agricultural Institute and Charles Sturt University are close neighbours and the land on which the organisations are situated has been used for agricultural research since 1892.

Researchers from both organisations are already working in common areas including soil nutrition, chemistry, irrigation, plant improvement, biotechnology, and pasture agronomy.

The partnership approach is also expected to improve the prospects of attracting external funding from industry research and development corporations, the Commonwealth Government and the Australian Research Council.

Charles Sturt University Chancellor, Lawrie Willet, and NSW Minister for Primary Industries, Ian Macdonald, at the launch of the Wagga Wagga Agricultural Innovation Park