Each year coordination meetings of R&D Corporation Chairmen are held to develop interaction and collaboration. In 1997–98 the Chairs meeting was held on 2 February 1998.

In 1997–98 RIRDC was engaged in 93 collaborative projects with 12 of the 14 R&D corporations. Across all the corporations there were around 200 projects involving two or more R&D corporations.
 

Project / program name	Participating R&D corporations
1. COMPETITIVENESS – increasing value from production
Commercialisation of forage Microlaena	RIRDC MLA
Optimisation of an innovative method for cultivating exotic mushrooms, with particular reference to shiitake	RIRDC HRDC
2. FARM PRODUCTION – increasing productivity, labour and capital in rural industries
Alternatives to soil fumigation with methyl bromide in the strawberry and ornamental industries	RIRDC HRDC
Assessment of olive yield and oil quality and cultivar identification	RIRDC HRDC
Biological control of mouse plagues – immunocontraception	RIRDC GRDC DRDC
Determining the role of boer goat crosses in the Australian meat industry	RIRDC MLA
Effect of windbreaks on crop and pasture productivity	RIRDC GRDC
Effect of windbreaks on crop and pasture productivity in South Australia	RIRDC LWRRDC FWPRRDC
Evaluation of plant back periods for methyl bromide and alternative fumigants for soil disinfestation in the strawberry industry	RIRDC HRDC
Factors influencing the nutritive value of lupins	RIRDC GRDC
Farm occupational health and safety program (Includes 5 projects)	RIRDC Woolmark CRDC  GRDC MLA
Improved handling of chaffy grass seeds	RIRDC LWRRDC
Joint Venture Agroforestry Program (Includes 38 projects)	RIRDC LWRRDC FWPRDC
Management of soil-borne pathogens in vegetable cropping systems at Bundaberg, Queensland	RIRDC HRDC
National Johne’s disease program	RIRDC Woolmark DRDC  MLA
PCR-based diagnostics for Pyhtophthora	RIRDC GRDC HRDC
Premium feed grains program (Includes 7 projects)	RIRDC GRDC DRDC  MLA PRDC
Production of a soil test interpretation manual	RIRDC CRDC GRDC  GWRDC HRDC MLA  SRDC LWRRDC Woolmark
The silvicultural basis for farm forestry in Australia – a national, collaborative review of past and present silvicultural research	RIRDC LWRRDC FWPRDC
Use of a simulation model to predict future distributions of exotic woody weeds under climate change	RIRDC MLA
3. NATURAL RESOURCES – protecting and enhancing Australia’s natural resource base
Australian farm families’ experience of the drought in the 1990s: a sociological investigation		RIRDC LWRRDC
The Australian On-Line Agrometeorological Information Service (Weather Wise)		RIRDC LWRRDC
Evaluating the role of seasonal climate forecasting in tactical management of cropping lands in the subtropics		RIRDC LWRRDC GRDC
Further development and application of Australian RAINMAN to improve management of climate variability		RIRDC LWRRDC
Investigating the conservation characteristics of native trees on agricultural land		RIRDC LWRRDC PRDC
Irrigation management in young eucalypt plantations growing over high watertables		RIRDC LWRRDC FWPRDC
Leguminous shrubs in sandplain cropping systems for improved water management and nutrient cycling		RIRDC GRDC
Managing the plant protection aspects of the rural–urban interface		RIRDC SRDC
National climate variability program (Includes 10 projects)		RIRDC LWRRDC DRDC  GRDC FWPRDC Woolmark  SRDC
North Queensland windbreaks		RIRDC LWRRDC
Productivity, socioeconomic and natural resources impact of changing catchment enterprises		RIRDC LWRRDC
Trees on cotton farms		RIRDC CRDC
4. RESEARCH MANAGEMENT – identifying specific research needs and the effective transfer and adoption of research results
Assessment of the future of horticultural information technology within Australia and how maximum benefit can be provided to the horticultural grower		RIRDC GWRDC
Australian Mycotoxin Data Centre		RIRDC PRDC GRDC
Australian Rural Leadership Program (ARLP)		RIRDC DRDC CRDC Woolmark  SRDC FRDC GRDC  HRDC MLA PRDC  Woolmark
Australian rural research in progress (ARRIP)		RIRDC DRDC CRDC Woolmark  SRDC FRDC GRDC  HRDC GWRDC PRDC  MLA LWRRDC FWPRDC  Woolmark
Commercialisation and development of an agronomic package for Microlaena stipoides for forage and other purposes		RIRDC MLA
Irrigated cropping advance 2000: industry development and implementation of best practice		RIRDC LWRRDC GRDC
National communication of research and policy issues related to phase-out methyl bromide for soil disinfestation purposes		RIRDC HRDC

 

Corporate Performance Indicators – Performance against Five Year Plan
 

Performance Target	Performance Status as at 30 June 1998
Involvement of end users in all aspects of R&D investment program	Our key end users are industry, although close relations with research providers are essential to the program. Industry drives the key strategy goals of each sub-program and their involvement in the advisory committees ensures that project selection is consistent with these goals. Key results from programs are disseminated widely to ensure accessibility to all stakeholders.
Translation of research outputs into industry benefits.	1997–98 saw a major effort by the Corporation to make research outputs more accessible to end users and to put these outputs into ‘consumer ready’ packages (examples are our ‘short reports’ and The New Rural Industries: A Handbook for Farmers and Investors). The investment review of Program 2 ‘Emerging Industries’ in 1997–98 showed rates of return on most projects above the performance target of 20 per cent.
Review of programs on a four-year rolling evaluation basis	The Corporation has four main programs and, in 1997–98, Program 2 ‘Emerging Industries’ was reviewed. Results showed investment returns above the performance target of 20 per cent set for most projects sampled in this program. In 1998–99, Program 3 ‘Established Industries’ will be reviewed using similar methodology (see RIRDC publication 97/84 Guidelines for the Economic Evaluation of R&D
Expansion of the gross value of production of new and emerging industries supported by RIRDC programs	The Australian Bureau of Statistics does not collect data on so-called minor rural industries. Preliminary analysis of data drawn together in 1997-98 resulted in problems in comparing ‘like with like’. In 1998–99 the Corporation will continue to seek to establish a statistical reference point to measure the growth in RIRDC-related industries.
Strong partnerships with stakeholders in new, emerging and established industry programs	In 1997–98 the Corporation continued to work closely with the relevant industry organisations. Wider engagement with industry participants was fostered by industry-specific newsletters, sponsored field days and direct contact by the relevant program managers. Proposals were put to industry to extend the number of prescribed organisations for the Corporation to include the Rice Growers’ Association of Australia, the Deer Industry Association of Australia, the Australian Honey Bee Industry Council and the Australian Horse Industry Council.
Strong partnership with stakeholders in Future Farming Systems program	Our primary stakeholder in Program 4 ‘Future Farming Systems’ is the National Farmers’ Federation (NFF). A close dialogue was maintained with the NFF in 1997–98.
Progressive reduction of corporate and administrative costs to keep these below 6 per cent of total budget expenditure	Corporate and administrative costs as a per centage of total budget expenditure in 1997–98 were 7.16 per cent. The comparable figure in 1996–97 was 7.75 per cent. In absolute terms, corporate and administrative costs were reduced by $159 523 in 1997–98. The 1998–99 budget is premised on corporate and administrative costs at 5.9 per cent of budgeted outlays.

 

Freedom of Information and Contact Officer

The Corporation publishes or holds the following categories of documents: those provided free to the public, while stocks are available, or displayed on the Corporation’s web site; those sold to the public on a partial cost-recovery basis; and general administrative documents, including project and personnel files.

A full listing of projects funded by the Corporation in 1997–98 is set out in Research-in-Progress, June 1998 which is on the Corporation’s web site. Funding information on individual projects is available, on request, from the Corporation.

The Corporation received no requests under the Freedom of Information Act in 1997–98. General inquiries about access to documents or other matters relating to FOI should be directed to: