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1981–1997

Highlights

Future directions - Government

  • 1981:  Review of Research Centres.  Portfolio change
  • Sub-divisional potential of Northfield, Parafield recognised
  • Closure – Parndana, Wanbi, Blackwood, Winkler Est.
  • Parafield Research Centre closed and Research carried out at Roseworthy
  • New Investment – Struan, Loxton,Turretfield, Minnipa, Lenswood
  • New Dairy Research Centre - Flaxley

Arriving at co-location

  • 1988: Possible move of Northfield staff to Roseworthy did not proceed
  • 1989: Review – Northfield staff to go to Waite Campus
  • Planning – John Radcliffe (Agriculture, later CSIRO), Harold Woolhouse (U of A Waite Director) and Ted Henzell (CSIRO)
  • 1992: Collocation Agreement signed – Lynn Arnold (SA Government), Kevin Marjoribanks (U of A), John Stocker (CSIRO)

Principle – sharing of facilities – like staff collocated.  Each agency built part of the total complex

The 1990s

South Australian Research and Development Institute from research components of Departments of Agriculture and Fisheries

Cooperative Research Centres successfully established:

  • Soil and Land Management
  • Viticulture
  • Weed Science
  • Molecular Plant Breeding etc

New commercial Joint Ventures (JVs) – eg Australian Grain Technologies

University Faculty of Agriculture merged with Science

Much informal collaboration but no longer a resident Director of the Waite Institute

Main aspects of the era

  • Rural adjustment programs seen as essential
  • Role of agriculture in the suture State economy
  • Retreat from regionalisation
  • Limits of legume-based agriculture
    • Native Vegetation Authority
  • High interest rates
  • Climate - drought, floods, bushfire
  • Live sheep export industry
  • Wool and livestock industries move to selective breeding
  • Viticulture industry becomes more market driven
  • Adjustment in irrigated horticulture
  • Decline of the wool industry
    • The floor price scheme
  • Deregulation of markets
  • Pastoral industry revolutionised
  • Agriculture becomes more self-supporting
  • Fodder exports become significant
  • Formation of PISA and then the creation of PIRSA
  • Restructuring of research
    • Increased collaboration and collocation in research
    • Move to Waite campus
    • Creation of SARDI
    • Media and ministerial advisers take precedence over the Department
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