Giving back to regions

Charles Sturt University (CSU) has announced a grants program targeted at regional and rural communities in areas extending to research, Indigenous community engagement, schools and sports development and arts and culture.

Meanwhile, at the University of New England (UNE) in Armidale, a new sustainable, manageable and accessible rural technologies (SMART) farm building project – estimated for completion by the end of the year – will have the capability of hosting visitors and community members external to the university for the purposes of agricultural research.

The CSU grants program – as part of a new community-university partnership program – has the ultimate aim of extending research and educational opportunities to regional and rural communities.

CSU director of corporate affairs Mark Burdack, Orange, said community engagement in the regions was an important aspect of what the university saw as its role.

“This is another way in which we can help local community groups to get initiatives underway and to deliver outcomes for their groups,” Mr Burdack said.

“It also aims to expose more people to the opportunities of higher education.”

While some grants are set to close shortly, applications are open all year round for a Healthy, Active Sporting Regions program, while applications for the Rural and Regional Community Initiated Research Grants Program close on October 30.

Applications for the Rural and Regional Indigenous Community Engagement Program are accepted on an ongoing basis.

Mr Burdack said the grants program had the potential for agricultural research applications, giving somebody the opportunity to research an aspect of farming.

“We are open to ideas: regional communities have lots of good ideas, and we’d like to give them a helping hand.

“We know a bit of money can go a long way.”

Information on the available grants can be viewed on the new CSU Community Portal website.

At UNE, work has started on the new SMART farm building project on the university’s 2800-hectare property “Kirby”, 10 kilometres north of the main campus.

UNE physics and precision agriculture Professor David Lamb said the new building would feature lecture facilities and would allow the university to have both students and external visitors on site for events like workshops and field days.

“It is going to be the physical hub of our services out there, but the digital hub as well,” Professor Lamb said.

Of importance, he said, was that the new facility would not just be for the exclusive use of agricultural students.

He said 11 schools in the university across a range of areas (including maths, education and health) would in some capacity be able to work on the farm.

He also said the farm would not just be beneficial for university students, but also for members of the wider regional community as well.

“We will run professional development and activities, as well as industry field days, as we will be hosting people like agronomist and high school student visitors, and members of the community from all across Australia,” he said.

He said UNE had a “very strong regional footprint”, and as such this new facility would enable those from regional communities – such as high schools – to be able to visit the farm and learn about its research projects.

CONSTRUCTION?has started on a new education facility at the University of New England’s (UNE) working farm “Kirby”, which will allow students and visitors to be embedded in its activities.

The sustainable, manageable and accessible rural technologies (SMART) farm has an emphasis on technology and utilising the National Broadband Network.

UNE physics and precision agriculture Professor David Lamb – who heads up the “Kirby” SMART farm project – said technology would be a huge development for the farm.

Currently, the farm has a shearing shed “and a lot of windy paddocks” on which to host students and visitors – with about a dozen visits a year – and is due for completion at the end of the year.

He said the facility would also play an important role in community engagement.

“When we talk about research and development, it is now research, development, extension and outreach: it is about reaching out to people in the community,” he said.

The SMART farm would not just be limited to the local area.

“We would effectively be the hub by which it would radiate outward – people would be able to contribute their farm cases from around the world: it is showing how exciting the future of farming is,” he said.