Riverina MP Michael McCormack has welcomed plans to bolster Australia’s biosecurity nous with a training centre touted for Charles Sturt University’s Wagga Wagga campus.
The university has signed an agreement with the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment to establish a Biosecurity Training Centre (BTC) at Wagga Wagga.
Mr McCormack said the BTC, which is expected to be operational from 1 July 2022, would mean Charles Sturt University’s Wagga Wagga campus was set up to become the centre of agricultural excellence for years to come.
“This is an amazing opportunity for the Wagga Wagga region, with more than 300 biosecurity officers expected to be trained in the first year of its operation,” Mr McCormack said.
“The Biosecurity Training Centre, the recently launched Gulbali Institute of Agriculture, Water and Environment, the Agrisciences Research and Business Park as well as the $8 million Southern Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub – all strongly supported by the Federal Government – will all play an important synergistic role as we continue to grow the agriculture industry to a $100 billion sector by 2030.
“I have always lauded Charles Sturt University’s Wagga Wagga campus as the centre of excellence for agriculture and this takes the university’s credentials to the next level.
“These are exciting times for the agriculture industry, for the university and certainly for the opportunities these initiatives create for developing more highly skilled workers in regional and rural areas.
“Congratulations to both the university and the Department for having the foresight and confidence to invest in Wagga Wagga.”
The BTC at Charles Sturt’s Wagga Wagga campus will be a centralised hub which will deliver specialised training to bolster the biosecurity workforce for the future.
The BTC is expected to expedite the establishment of an Asia Pacific Region-based biosecurity centre and, by 2024, it is anticipated to support Australia’s close neighbours with proficiency in pest and disease preparedness, response and containment capabilities.