• Minister for Regional Health, Regional Communications and Local Government visits Charles Sturt in Wagga Wagga

The Minister for Regional Health, Regional Communications and Local Government has visited the Digital Farm at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga.

The Hon. Mark Coulton was joined by Senator Perin Davey in Wagga Wagga on Monday 12 October to meet with Acting Vice-Chancellor Professor John Germov, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation) Professor Michael Friend, and Senior Research Fellow in Spatial Agriculture with the Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation Mr Jonathon Medway.

Professor Friend gave the Minister an overview on research being conducted at the University and Mr Medway gave an overview of the potential future collaboration between Charles Sturt and Telstra.

The collaboration is a step toward establishing Charles Sturt’s Digital Twin Farm, based at the University’s existing 1,600-hectare commercial mixed farm in Wagga Wagga.

The Digital Twin Farm will shape the digital workforce of the future, change the way research and development is conducted, and be a key learning resource for the community.

Professor Germov said the establishment of the Digital Twin Farm in Wagga Wagga is perfectly positioned to build a digitally-intelligent agricultural industry.

“Wagga Wagga is a major centre for agricultural production and the perfect location for our students to learn about the agricultural and farming industries,” he said.

“The University is committed to ensuring we offer the best teaching and research facilities to students and staff.

“We are happy to welcome the Minister to Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga to demonstrate how we are making innovative strides to be leaders in cutting-edge agricultural research for the benefit of our communities.”

Mr Coulton said he was delighted to have the opportunity to visit the University’s Digital Twin Farm to witness the contribution Charles Sturt is making to the future of smart farming.

“This farm is an excellent example of how digital technologies and applied research can be integrated into a full-scale commercial farm,” he said.

“This type of innovative collaboration between our universities, tech companies and agriculture sector is critical to Australia reaching its full potential as a world-leading food and fibre producer.”

Senator Davey said the Digital Twin Farm has potential to generate productivity breakthroughs that will make a real difference to farmers locally and around the country.

“The future of our regional communities will depend on how we capitalise on the connection between digital innovation and agricultural productivity,” she said.

“Charles Sturt University’s partnership with Telstra to set up the digital farm is a fantastic example of how this can be done.”