SRFME is a
joint venture between CSIRO and the Western Australia Government.
The State Government is represented in the joint venture by the
principal agencies involved in marine resource development and
conservation: Department of Fisheries, Department of Conservation
and Land Management, Department of Environment, Department of Industry
and Resources, and Office of Science and Innovation.
The most important characteristic of SRFME is that it has been
established to invest in and carry out "strategic" research
rather than "applied" or "tactical" research.
A strategic approach allows us to gain a broad understanding of
the WA marine ecosystem and in particular how it functions and
varies over time.
Background
In July 1998 CSIRO approached the Western Australian Government
and began a dialogue aimed towards strengthening CSIRO’s
presence in Western Australia. The State government formed the
Marine Research Taskforce, which conducted a two-day workshop in
October 1998 to identify the State’s marine science priorities.
The workshop involved over ninety representatives from peak industry
bodies, research, academic and training institutions, community
bodies and state and federal government agencies.
A major outcome of the workshop was a strong identification of
the need for strategic research to support decision making for
ecologically sustainable development and conservation in the marine
environment. Additionally, the limited funding available to support
such research was identified as a major constraint. In June 1999,
the outcomes of the workshop were handed to the Coordination Committee
on Science and Technology (CCST) by the Marine Research Taskforce
for implementation and the CCST established a Marine Science Working
Group to work with CSIRO to develop a solution to this funding
situation.
In January 2000, the Western Australian Government agreed to jointly
establish and manage the Strategic Research Fund for the Marine
Environment (SRFME) with CSIRO. In July 2000, following the Western
Australian Government’s endorsement of the structural
and administrative arrangements for the fund, a Joint Venture Management
Committee was established with the immediate task of negotiating
the Joint Venture Agreement. This Joint Venture Agreement was entered
into on 4 January 2001 pledging $10 million from each of the joint
venture partners over six years.
More information:
The Final Report
Concise Summary [PDF 2.4 Mb] contains more information about;
- SRFME structure and governance
- committees
and committee members
- framework for SRFME, and
- research
portfolio structure.
|