Uniting for a vision of a feral free future, NRM Regions Australia, Invasive Species Council, WoolProducers Australia, and Rabbit Free Australia join the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions (CISS), as our inaugural Associate Members.
Bruce Christie, CISS Chair said that our new membership category ensures our Centre has representation from key national sectoral bodies and acknowledged the important role they all play to support delivery of on ground management activities.
“Landcare and NRM groups, as well as primary producers are at front line of strategic management of pest animals and weeds, and it is important they have a seat at the table, within our collaborative organisation of government, industry and research members and partners.
“These four national organisations will be a strategic party in developing and ensuring successful implementation of our innovation pipelines, and we are absolutely delighted to formally welcome them to our Centre’s collaboration,” Mr Christie said.
Dr Kate Andrews, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for NRM Regions Australia said that the Natural Resource Management (NRM) model is about working with and supporting the local scale, and formalising our partnerships at the national level helps us do this.
“Innovation and collaboration are two of our core values so it is important we work with national organisations such as the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions to ensure that emerging innovations can be developed with our sector to ensure they deliver on-ground impact,” Dr Andrews said.
Andrew Cox, CEO for the Invasive Species Council said the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions is at the forefront of delivering products and technologies to ensure strategic landscape management of invasives species.
“An investment in high-tech surveillance and other innovative biosecurity tools will greatly benefit the Australian community and our environment and we are pleased to be involved in future strategic planning activities,” Mr Cox said.
Professor Wayne Meyers, President of Rabbit Free Australia wants to maintain a national conversation on rabbits, Australia’s worst environmental and agricultural pest.
“Being closely involved in the Centre will ensure we can be involved in the rabbit control innovation programs and assist all Australians in managing Australia’s worst pest animal, collaboratively,” Professor Meyers said.
Jo Hall, CEO of WoolProducers Australia is driving the delivery of a prosperous wool industry and acknowledges the role invasive species have in lost productivity to the sector.
“Helping frame the Centre’s innovation direction is vital for ensuring solutions and technologies are developed which can reduce livestock attacks on sheep, and competition from other invasive species,” Ms Hall said.
Our four new associate members are now formally part of our Centre’s 17 other member and partner organisations including the Australian Government through the Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment, all state and territory governments (except the NT), the NZ Department of Conservation, Meat and Livestock Australia, Australian Wool Innovation, CSIRO, and five universities – the University of Adelaide, University of Canberra, La Trobe University, Murdoch University and the University of New England.
They will all be involved in ensuring our Centre’s new strategic direction from 2022 onwards meets the needs of the environment, agricultural and NRM sectors.
To learn more about our Centre’s current activities visit https://invasives.com.au