A national consortium of 85 collaborative partners will help to achieve a more productive, resilient and sustainable Murray–Darling Basin though the recent announcement of the new One Basin Co-operative Research Centre (CRC).
Funded by a $50 million grant from the Commonwealth Government Co-operative Research Centres Program and $106.5 million from 85 partners including Wine Australia, the One Basin CRC – led by the University of Melbourne – will develop and commercialise opportunities for Australia’s irrigated agriculture and rural water industries that rely on the Murray–Darling Basin.
Wine Australia Chief Executive Officer Dr Martin Cole welcomed the announcement, saying that the One Basin CRC would drive innovation, commercialisation and adoption to safeguard the wine sector against challenging climatic events and encourage further sustainability.
“The Murray–Darling Basin is the lifeblood of many regional communities and industries within Australia. For the wine sector, our three largest wine producing regions of the Riverland, Murray Darling–Swan Hill and Riverina sit within the Basin and it supports around 70 per cent of the volume of Australia’s annual winegrape harvest.
“The Murray–Darling Basin supports the success of many of Australia’s regional centres, and it’s critical that we work together with industry, research organisations and the community to build a productive, sustainable and resilient future for the river systems. We are so pleased to be a partner of this important initiative.”
One Basin CRC will use a co-design process with water managers and farmers to provide irrigation-related solutions to increase agricultural production while ensuring environmental resilience and sustainability.
The One Basin CRC’s activities will be concentrated in regional hubs located in Loxton, Mildura, Griffith and Goondiwindi, and will be designed to drive job growth and economic activity for maximum benefit for regional communities. To ensure outcomes are locally significant, the One Basin CRC will work with local industries and businesses, regional communities, First Nations communities, and local, state and federal governments.
The One Basin CRC was announced on 18 May 2022. Click here for more information about the announcement and here for the One Basin CRC website.