• The Standing Committee on Agriculture and Water Resources will visit Charles Sturt in Wagga Wagga on Friday 7 February

The Australian Government House of Representatives Standing Committee on Agriculture and Water Resources will tour Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga and hold a public hearing at the campus on Friday 7 February.

In 2019, the National Farmers’ Federation set a goal of growing the country’s agricultural production to $100 billion by 2030.

In a submission to the Standing Committee, Charles Sturt stated it could contribute to this target by producing enough agricultural graduates to meet the demand, and conduct research and development to produce new technologies and ideas to increase the quality and sustainability of farm produce.

The Committee will spend the morning inspecting the campus’ National Life Sciences Hub, Rhyzolysimeter and university farm before hearing presentations from representatives from the Agrisciences Research and Business Park, The Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation, the National Wine and Grape Industry Centre, and the Institute for Land, Water and Society.

After lunch the Committee will hold a public hearing at the campus’s convention centre.

Charles Sturt Vice-Chancellor Professor Andrew Vann, who will attend both the tour and public hearing, said the University is honoured to host the Committee and that the Wagga Wagga campus was a fitting setting for the events.

“In 1892, on the very site of the Wagga Wagga campus, the Wagga Experimental Farm began offering vocational agricultural education, and since the founding of Charles Sturt University in 1989, we have been building on that long and proud history of learning and research,” Professor Vann said.

“The teaching and academic facilities, research centres and AgriPark development, which will facilitate a wealth of opportunities for innovation and productivity in collaboration with the private sector, are testament to the University’s commitment to driving Australia’s agriculture industry and water management strategies this century.”

“We welcome the Committee to our campus, and trust they will be impressed by the scale and quality of the University’s investment in agricultural education and innovation.”

Charles Sturt representatives and Standing Committee members will meet at the Convention Centre in Wagga Wagga before tours begin.