National Strategic Rural R&D Investment Plan

The National Strategic Rural R&D Investment Plan (the Plan) was developed by the Rural Research and Development Council following extensive stakeholder consultation. It outlines a rationale for balancing Australian Government investment in rural R&D and identifies major investment themes.

The Council commissioned three background reports, which provided a basis for initial stakeholder consultation, which described:

• the evolution of Australia’s current rural R&D system PDF [786 KB]
• the evolution of Australia’s current rural R&D system Word [807 KB]
• the relationship between R&D and productivity growth in primary industries PDF [1.2 MB]
• the relationship between R&D and productivity growth in primary industries Word [1.8 MB]
• the international context for Australia’s plan PDF [554 KB]
• the international context for Australia’s plan Word [973 KB].

Senator the Hon Joe Ludwig, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, released the National Strategic Rural R&D Investment PlaPlann (the plan), along with the final report of the Productivity Commission (PC) inquiry into the rural research and development corporations, and the preliminary government response to the PC inquiry, on 15 June 2011. The plan was developed by the Rural Research and Development Council following extensive consultation with interested stakeholders, which included the opportunity to respond to a draft of the plan in early 2011.

• National Strategic Rural R&D Investment Plan PDF [1.3 MB]

View the minister’s media release minister’s media release announcing the release of the investment plan and the PC report. The minister also made a statement in Parliament on rural R&D on 15 June 2011.

The department hosted a series of ten targeted consultation meetings across Australia with over 100 stakeholders in November 2011 to inform development of the government’s final response to the investment plan and the Productivity Commission’s inquiry into rural RDCs.

Senator the Hon Joe Ludwig, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry released a Rural Research and Development Policy Statement on 23 July 2012, which incorporated the responses to the two reports.