The Federal government has allocated $5.9 million towards a $8 million Food, Soil and Water Research Centre to be built by Charles Sturt University (CSU) in partnership with Port Macquarie-Hastings Council.
A new facility built on CSU’s proposed greenfield campus site on Major Innes Road, Port Macquarie. The centre, to be built as part of a new science precinct, will improve the university's capacity to research food, soil and water issues with local, national and international partners. The university's testing facilities will also be expanded.
CSU Vice-Chancellor Professor Andrew Vann said: "The centre will make a significant contribution to research into soil and water management and sustainable development on the NSW Mid-North Coast and Australia, and will be integrated with the development of our new campus in Port Macquarie.”
The centre will help Australia address problems and economic opportunities in providing enough food and water for an ever-increasing global population.
The facility will replace and expand an existing laboratory run by Port Macquarie-Hastings Council.
One of the key roles of the centre will be to support collaboration between Charles Sturt University and the Council on the effects of recent flooding of agricultural land and the resulting contamination of food chains in the region.
The project would also give local industry access to testing facilities previously unavailable in the region.
(From left) Port Macquarie-Hastings Council laboratory manager Dr Maree Smith, Port Macquarie-Hastings Mayor Peter Besseling, CSU Vice-Chancellor Professor Andrew Vann, Independent Member for Lyne the Hon. Rob Oakeshott, campus director for CSU in Port Macquarie Dr Muyesser Durur.