ALIGNMENT TO AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT R&D PRIORITIES Dairy Australia is one of 13 rural Research and Development Corporations and Companies (RDCs) who partner with the Australian Government and the agricultural, fisheries and forestry industries. The Australian Government matches industry expenditure on R&D, dollar for dollar up to a limit of 0.5 per cent of each industry’s Gross Value of Productions (GVP). In 2006/07, this partnership invested $16 million in the dairy industry. To guide the RDCs’ investment strategies, industry and stakeholders are consulted to help develop the Australian Government’s R&D priorities. The new Rural Research and Development Priorities introduced in 2007 build on those first introduced by the Australian Government in 1994 and complement the Government’s National Research Priorities. They take into account the recommendations of several policy reviews, including the 2006 Agriculture and Food Policy Reference Group Report (better known as the Corish Report). That report emphasised that innovation and leading edge R&D were the foundations for the long-term success of agricultural and food industries. The new Rural Research and Development Priorities aim to foster innovation and guide R&D effort in the face of continuing economic, environmental and social change. The rural sector needs to be well positioned to respond to and manage change to maintain and improve its long-term profitability, competitiveness and sustainability. Climate variability and climate change have been included within these Priorities for the first time. This reflects the emphasis the Australian Government puts on the significant risk that climate change poses for the agricultural sector. The Rural R&D Priorities and corresponding National Research Priorities and Dairy Australia key strategies and outcomes are shown in Chart 7 on the following page. Dairy Australia’s three objectives and its activities are informed by, aligned and contribute to the achievement of these priorities.
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