(Photo: GRDC)
August 29, 2017
The Rural Industries Research & Development Corporation (RIRDC) has changed its trading name to “AgriFutures Australia”.
The corporation is a Federal Government statutory body that collects grower levies and redirects them into industry research.
The new trading name follows the controversial move by the RIRDC from Canberra to Wagga Wagga in southern NSW earlier this year.
This phased transfer – part of a decision by the Federal Government to increase the presence of its R&D investment in regional Australia – was to be completed by July 1.
It has been reported that only two staff and CEO John Harvey agreed to make the move, which would have left about 15 FTE vacancies to be filled in Wagga Wagga.
AgriFutures Australia chairperson Kay Hull said it was “more than just a name change”; it represented the organisation’s “renewed purpose and direction”.
“Our new name signals a distinct path for our organisation. We have upended our thinking to be proactive in the face of a rapidly changing environment, and to harness the many opportunities this presents to our organisation and the sector,” Mrs Hull said.
“AgriFutures Australia forges new frontiers for learning, pushes for greater collaboration across sectors, invests in new and emerging industries, harnesses new technologies and builds the capability of emerging leaders to deliver real on-farm benefits.
“It is such an exciting time to be in Australian agriculture, and AgriFutures Australia is well placed to collaborate with rural industries to build a prosperous future.
“We’ve set our sights on transforming the rural industries we partner with to meet the challenges that lie ahead. Our new name reflects our place in agriculture, our national mandate and our steely focus on the future. We thank everyone for their involvement and contribution to date and look forward to working together to grow our future.”
Along with the new name and a new location, the corporation also has a new website (still under development) to replace the old www.rirdc.gov.au site, which can no longer be accessed. AgriFutures has also set up Facebook and Twitter accounts.
