Brisbane’s bayside is home to a hothouse of agricultural science research and development with 75 staff at the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries’ Redlands Research Centre currently working across almost 50 projects and trials.
Member for Capalaba Don Brown said many of the breakthroughs and cutting-edge practices in Queensland agriculture were a result of the ground-breaking partnerships conducted at Redlands.
“With laboratories, glasshouses, shade houses, extensive fields of rich red soil and reliable rainfall, Redlands attracts not just Queensland Government scientists, but also tertiary and private sector partners including the grains, legumes, horticulture and sports turf industries,” Mr Brown said.
“There’s a huge amount of work going on at the Centre, which is currently at full capacity with projects focused on combatting fruit fly, plant disease resistance, sports turf development, converting food waste into protein products and renewable energy systems.
“Redlands Research Centre is a vital piece of infrastructure and its importance in ensuring food security and growing exports is putting our region on the National and even international stage.”
Use of the facility has increased significantly since the Palaszczuk Government was elected in 2015.
In seven years the number of external research partners working on the site has grown from five to 21 and the number of event bookings for the site has risen from 21 in 2015 to 103 over the last 12 months.
The number of DAF-led research projects on the site has grown from three to 13.
Member for Redlands Kim Richards said Redlands Research Centre meant the region played a significant role in agriscience.
“Trials led by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) are focused on reducing disease impacts and improving yields of staple crops such as capsicum, tomato, zucchini, barley, wheat and mung bean,” Ms Richards said.
“This includes trials that are part of the $19 million national, multi-agency project Area Wide Management of Vegetable Diseases: viruses and bacteria.
“This Queensland-led project is continuing its diagnoses of what causes disease outbreaks in multiple districts across Australia and is providing valuable knowledge fundamental for development of disease management strategies.
“DAF is also leading a national collaboration to better understand the seasonal cycles affecting fruit fly activity and better target outbreaks of this pest.
“This broad sweep of work is another example of the Queensland Government’s commitment to supporting agriculture as a key economic pillar and safeguarding our reputation for clean green world class produce.”
Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries and Minister for Rural Communities Mark Furner said research was an irreplaceable part of the Palaszczuk Government’s commitment to agriculture in Queensland.
“Research and extension work is at the heart of how the Palaszczuk Government supports our primary producers to be the best in the world,” Mr Furner said.
“Research like that carried out at Redlands means we can grow more, we can grow safely and we can export to the world.
“We are tackling diseases and helping to control pests that cost our farmers money and jobs.
“The Palaszczuk Government has always backed science, just as we did to save thousands of lives through the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Queenslanders can be proud of what is achieved at Redlands Research Centre and all of our Department of Agriculture and Fisheries research facilities.”
