NSW Premier, The Hon Mr Chris Minns MP, and NSW Minister for Agriculture, The Hon Tara Moriarty MLC, visited Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga on Sunday 6 August.

Premier Minns and Minister Moriarty were joined by Member for Wagga, Dr Joe McGirr, and were shown some of the campus’s state-of-the-art teaching and research facilities, as well as the world-renown Global Digital Farm.

The Premier and Minister started their tour at the Pre-Clinical Centre, where they met with veterinary students who walked them through the University’s hands-on approach to teaching animal anatomy.

The Pre-Clinical Centre houses a specialised anatomy laboratory with tutorial rooms and museum showcasing animal skeletons. The anatomy laboratory features high-definition cameras and plasma screens for teaching and research purposes, as well as a large gantry capable of holding whole animal specimens.

The Premier and Minister then toured the GDF: an integrated learning, innovation and research environment working within a full-scale, commercial, mixed farm.

“It was fantastic to attend Charles Sturt University and see firsthand the incredible research and work being done,” Premier Minns said.

“We know that NSW only thrives when our agriculture sector thrives, and the work being done at Charles Sturt is at the forefront of future proofing this vital industry.”

Charles Sturt University trains more of Australia’s future agricultural, environmental and veterinary workforce than any other regional university, with in excess of 1600 students in agriculture and environmental sciences, and almost 700 students in veterinary and animal sciences.

In 2023, Charles Sturt’s enrolments for courses in these fields have increased significantly: Bachelor of Veterinary Technology is up 18.5 per cent; Bachelor of Animal Science is up 21 per cent; and Bachelor of Agriculture is up 22 per cent.