Plan to overcome economic isolation
Friday, 02 October, 2009
Sixty partners from government, the private sector, Aboriginal communities, non-government bodies, research agencies and universities have announced a major bid to overcome the economic disadvantages faced by a million Australians who live in remote areas of the continent.
The proposal for a national Cooperative Research Centre for Remote Economic Participation (CRC-REP) is the most comprehensive approach to the issue of economic isolation yet put forward, head of the bid Jan Ferguson said.
“The proposed research institution has three main goals:
“The remote regions of Australia generate far more export income per head and have more enterprises per head than the rest of Australia combined - but in terms of economic opportunity they often face great disadvantages and these impact directly on lives and communities,” she said.
The CRC-REP will be a ‘public good’ research organisation delivering better business models and tools to remote populations. Within 15 years, this would help achieve:
The CRC-REP will also pioneer a world-first approach to precision pastoralism that integrates pasture cover with stock management to achieve sustainable production in Australia’s - and the world’s - drylands.
Energy-friendly ammonia production for fertilisers and fuel
To help reduce ammonia's energy footprint, researchers set out to create a reaction that can...
Nanogenerator absorbs CO2, produces electricity
The technology goes further than being carbon neutral, as it consumes CO2 as it...
Fourth global coral bleaching event confirmed
The world is currently experiencing a global coral bleaching event, according to NOAA scientists....