A world-class facility for research into livestock health and production will be built at The University of Queensland’s Gatton Campus following the announcement of $9.5 million in funding from the State Government.
As part of the latest round of Smart State Research Facilities Funding announced by Premier Peter Beattie at BIO2004 in San Francisco, the Centre for Advanced Animal Science (CAAS) will be established to further research into animal nutrition, diseases and vaccines, biotechnology, animal welfare and food quality and safety.
CAAS will be a partnership between UQ and the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, who will contribute another $9 million to make an $18.5 million centre aimed at building a critical mass of research in animal science.
Professor Roger Swift, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Natural Resources, Agriculture & Veterinary Science, said the Centre represented a sound investment in the future of the multi-billion dollar animal and allied industries of Queensland.
“An outstanding feature of the Centre will be collaboration amongst leading researchers from universities and government research institutions in an environment promoting excellence and innovation,” Professor Swift said.
“The model of multi-institutional collaboration will harness human capital and build critical mass in areas of strategic importance to Queensland that will attract large scale national and international investment and maximise the efficient use of high-quality modern facilities.
“Close collaboration with industry will ensure a rapid path to commercialisation of products and the delivery of economic and social benefits.”
Professor Swift said animal science research in southeast Queensland was presently carried out at multiple facilities that were independently owned and managed by universities and State and Federal research institutions, a situation that was no longer economically defensible.
“The majority of the existing facilities are in urban and peri-urban locations where there is intense pressure from residential development,” Professor Swift said.
“The facilities have been in existence for some time and no longer comply with current standards for research.
“The Centre for Advanced Animal Science is the solution to the inherent waste associated with the duplication of facilities, infrastructure and resources.
“Hence, a multi-institutional and state-of-the-art facility will be created to support Queensland’s world-class animal science researchers and will bring together research, education and research training in the one location.”
Research at the Centre will be in the key areas of health and disease, nutrition and growth, adaptation and animal welfare, new products, and food quality and safety.
UQ’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor David Siddle said the creation of CAAS represented a major leap forward in animal research in Queensland.
“This represents a very important investment in large animal research by the State Government, UQ and the QDPI,” Professor Siddle said.
“And by sharing infrastructure and research between UQ and the QDPIF, the Centre will also strengthen the ties between the two institutions and boost the work done in this field.
“With animal production industries contributing more than $4 billion a year to Queensland’s economy, CAAS aims to support research and training that will underpin the sustainable management of such a vital sector of agriculture.”
Media: For more information contact Professor Roger Swift, Executive Dean Faculty of Natural Resources, Agriculture & Veterinary Science, (telephone 07 5460 1201) or Andrew Dunne at UQ Communications (telephone 07 3365 2802).
