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| Land and Water Resources Research and Development Corporation | |
|---|---|
| Name | Land and Water Resources Research and Development Corporation |
| Formation | 20th century |
| Type | Research corporation |
| Headquarters | Canberra |
| Location | Australia |
| Leader title | Chair |
Land and Water Resources Research and Development Corporation is a statutory research body established to coordinate applied research on land use and water resources in Australia. It acted as a focal point linking agencies such as the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation and state departments including New South Wales Department of Primary Industries and Department of Agriculture (Western Australia) with universities like the Australian National University and the University of Adelaide. The corporation worked alongside international institutions such as the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Bank to apply scientific methods to rural development, irrigation, salinity, and catchment management.
The corporation was created amid policy shifts influenced by inquiries involving the Senate Select Committee on Science and Technology, debates in the Parliament of Australia, and reports from the Bureau of Meteorology and the National Water Commission. Its establishment was contemporaneous with reforms led by figures from the Department of the Environment and ministers associated with the Hawke Government and Fraser Government. Early proponents referenced successes from projects at the CSIRO Division of Land Use Research, the Australian Academy of Science, and initiatives endorsed by the Australian Council of Agriculture Ministers. The corporation’s founding reflected international trends exemplified by programs run by the United Nations Environment Programme and bilateral projects with the United States Agency for International Development.
The corporation’s statutory mandate aligned with policy frameworks from the National Landcare Program and principles advanced by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Its objectives included improving catchment planning promoted by the Murray–Darling Basin Authority, advancing irrigation technologies showcased by the Irrigation Association of Australia, and mitigating salinity issues documented by the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering. The organization also sought to translate research from institutions such as the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation and the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research into operational practice for agencies like the New South Wales Natural Resources Commission.
Governance arrangements drew on models used by the Australian Research Council, with a board appointed through processes connected to the Department of Primary Industries and ministers in the Commonwealth of Australia. The corporation maintained programmatic links with the CSRIO (sic) divisions, state bodies including the Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, and research centres such as the CSIRO Land and Water group and the Griffith University Centre for Environment. Advisory input came from scientists affiliated with the Australian National University, the University of Melbourne, and international scholars from the International Water Management Institute and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation.
Research programs covered soil salinity responses linked to work by the Murray–Darling Basin Commission, irrigation efficiency studies paralleling those at the Irrigation Research and Extension Committee, and sustainable land management trials similar to projects run by the National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training. Projects often involved collaboration with the Australian Wool Innovation corporation, the Grains Research and Development Corporation, and the Meat and Livestock Australia entity. Field experiments mirrored protocols from the CSIRO Division of Soils, applied modelling approaches comparable to tools developed at the Bureau of Meteorology and engaged extension networks like the Landcare groups associated with the National Landcare Program.
Funding streams combined appropriations from the Australian Government and competitive grants administered through the Australian Research Council, supplemented by contributions from state agencies such as the New South Wales Government and private sector partners including the Commonwealth Bank of Australia in financing rural development pilots. International partnerships involved agencies like the Asian Development Bank and collaborations with universities such as the University of Queensland and the University of Western Australia. Co-investment arrangements were modelled on precedents set by the Cooperative Research Centres Programme and leveraged advice from the Productivity Commission.
The corporation influenced policy instruments associated with the Murray–Darling Basin Plan and contributed to best-practice guidelines used by the New South Wales Natural Resources Commission and the Victorian Catchment Management Authority. Its research underpinned agronomic recommendations echoed in publications from the Australian Academy of Science and technical manuals used by practitioners in networks such as Landcare and the National Farmers' Federation. Collaborative outputs informed international dialogues at venues like the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change meetings and were cited in assessments by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Critiques of the corporation echoed broader debates involving the Productivity Commission, the Australian National Audit Office, and parliamentary inquiries conducted by committees of the Parliament of Australia. Critics raised issues paralleling controversies faced by the CSIRO and the Australian Research Council about priority-setting, funding transparency, and perceived overlap with agencies such as the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics. Debates involved stakeholders including the National Farmers' Federation, environmental groups like the Australian Conservation Foundation, and state ministers from bodies such as the Department of Primary Industries (New South Wales).
Category:Research organisations in Australia