Page 12 - Australian Pork Newspaper

APRIL open for business on innovation and commercialisation fronts
NFF slams weak trespass laws, calls for Federal intervention
AUSTRALASIAN Pork Research Insti- tute Limited is seek- ing applications for Innovation and Com- mercialisation pro- jects.
An independent, member-based re- search entity, APRIL continues the approach to research, education, training and commer- cialisation of the very successful CRC for High Integrity Austral- ian Pork, which con- cludes June 30, 2019.
APRIL Innovation Projects are negotia- ble to around 12 to 15 months, have a maxi- mum budget of $50,000 to $75,000 and require a minimum external cash co-investment of 25 percent of the total cash cost of the project.
There will be two calls per calendar year for Innovation Projects, with the first deadline May 17, 2019.
Open all year round, Commercialisation Projects are where the path to market of a product or technology may be close and ad- ditional co-investment may bring it to fruition.
Such projects require a co-investment exter- nal contribution of 20 percent of the total cash project cost.
Duration is negotiable if beyond 12 months.
Commercialisation income is a clear im- perative for the future of APRIL, hence sup- porting projects in this domain is critical, ac- cording to APRIL CEO and Chief Scientist John Pluske.
“APRIL wants to be seen as a catalyst for in- novation and a key co-
funder of research for the overall benefit of Australasia’s pork indus- try,” Prof Pluske said.
“The Innovation and Commercialisation projects are an impor- tant pillar of APRIL’s strategic direction and complement our long- er-term research initia- tives, which will soon be announced and de- tailed.
“We are encouraging thinking outside the box to engage smart new ways to tackle cur- rent and emerging pork industry challenges.”
APRIL Innovation Project proposals must demonstrate original- ity, uniqueness and creativity, according to APRIL Commer- cialisation and Re- search Impact Manager Charles Rikard-Bell.
“They should estab- lish new concepts or challenge existing ones, address signifi- cant challenges or criti- cal barriers to progress and be able to improve or apply new theoreti- cal concepts, method- ologies and tools to benefit industry,” Dr Rikard-Bell said.
Assessment of appli- cations will be based strongly on these criteria and will be favourably considered if they can demonstrate revenue- generating potential.
APRIL and Pork CRC have already suc- cessfully commercial- ised and managed re- search technologies of benefit to Australasia’s pork industry.
Applications can be lodged by researchers currently working in the pork industry, but are also welcomed from individuals and organi- sations not necessarily with a direct affiliation with the Australasian pork industry.
The APRIL website (www.apri.com.au) contains application templates and a budget spreadsheet and infor- mation on the applica- tion process.
For further informa- tion, contact Dr Rikard- Bell on 61 439 513 723 or email c.rikardbell@ april.org.au, or Prof Pluske on 61 410 436 871 or email j.pluske@ april.org.au
www.APRI.com.au
THE NFF says a court ruling in Western Aus- tralia recently should be a wakeup call for our politicians, as yet anoth- er farm intruder made a joke of Australia’s soft trespass laws.
Repeat trespasser James Warden came before the Magistrates’ Court in Mandurah, WA, follow- ing a two-hour break-in to a WA piggery, which he live-streamed on Face- book.
Despite the conclusive evidence and brazen na- ture of the offence, the Court allowed Mr War- den to walk free with just one-third of the maximum fine.
National Farmers’ Feder- ation president Fiona Sim- son said the penalty sends a disturbing message to would-be intruders.
“Farmers are rightly alarmed that their farms can be invaded in the dead of night, streamed live on the internet, only for of-
fenders to walk away with a slap on the wrist,” she said. “We’re talking about private property, often a stone’s throw from family homes where farmers and their families are sleep-
ing.
“This is not just a matter
of basic privacy.
“These intruders are
placing the biosecurity of our farms and the welfare of our livestock at risk.”
The recent decision follows a string of even weaker decisions around the country, including:
• A $1 fine for activists who stole a goat in Gipps- land, Victoria; and
•A$200fineforapig- gery break-in on the Sun- shine Coast, Queensland (a second-time offender).
“The law is clearly not keeping up with what’s happening here,” Ms Sim- son said.
“These people are not well-intentioned prank- sters.
“They form part of a co-
ordinated assault on fam- ily homes and businesses, being led by militant and well-resourced activist groups.
“They’re garden-variety crooks, and need to be treated as such.”
Many offenders never count the cost of their crimes, with activist groups meeting the cost of legal expenses and fines. Time for Federal lead- ership
The NFF is calling on all parties to commit to action as we head into the Federal Election.
“This is clearly a na- tional issue, and warrants a decisive national re- sponse,” Ms Simson said.
“The Federal Govern- ment needs to show lead- ership and get state and territory leaders in the room to design stronger laws.
“We’re seeking a com- mitment from all parties coming into the Federal Election that they will act
decisively and protect our farms from these trespass- ers.”
The NFF is calling on people who share its con- cerns to sign an online petition at farmers.org.au Industry welcomes transparency, but safety must come first
Ms Simson emphasised that the industry wel- comes transparency, and has nothing to hide.
“We’re as concerned as anyone about the discon- nect between our farms and our end customers,” she said.
“We’re proud of how we farm and love to show it off to those who are in- terested.
“I’d encourage you to visit a real farm – it’s a fantastic experience – but do it safely and legally.”
Services like YouCamp or FarmStay Australia of- fer great, authentic experi- ences for those wanting to understand and experi- ence farming.
Excellent quality Concrete Slats for Piggeries
Farrowing and weaner crates, growers and baconer pens. Feed hopper with stainless steel trough.
Farrowing flooring with a 10mm gap; weaners flooring with a 12mm gap; and growers flooring with a 15mm gap.
Diagonal Farrowing Crate.
Straight Farrowing Crate.
APRIL CEO John Pluske.
Ph (02) 6644 6065
Mobile 0437 431 901 | Email sales@vereyken.com.au
2 Clark Rd, Junction Hill • PO Box 421, Grafton NSW 2460
Head Office:
Victoria: Freecall:
Vereyken Bros. Pty Ltd ABN 11 003 543 548
Ben Slots 1800 999 245
Anytime or (02) 6644 6065 Mobile: 0437 431 901
Phone: (03) 9462 4266 Mobile: 0418 388 842
Page 12 – Australian Pork Newspaper, April 2019
www.porknews.com.au
North Bourke abattoir upgrades to Gorman-Rupp
DARLING Irrigation supplies solutions for ir- rigation, domestic water systems, mining hydrau- lics, stock watering and more.
With a staff of around 50 and four locations in western NSW (and one in Launceston), Darling Irri- gation assists a wide range of customers with quality water systems.
The company recently undertook a contract for the design and construc- tion of water and wastewa- ter infrastructure for a new North Bourke abattoir.
Wanting to deliver a quality project with pumps that were reli- able, easy to maintain and safe for operators, Darling Irrigation ap- proached Hydro Innova-
tions for solutions using Gorman-Rupp self-prim- ing pumps.
There were five applica- tions for a total of nine pumps from kill floor hose-down to pond stor- age transfer and effluent pumping.
As some of these ap- plications contained abra- sive media in the pumped water, Hydro Innova- tions offered pumps with Gorman-Rupp ‘hard iron’ internals to reduce wear rates and considerably lengthen the intervals be- tween servicing.
Darling Irrigation chose the Gorman Rupp pumps for their strong international reputation, reliability and longevity in tough pumping condi- tions.
And because they are self-priming pumps, they could be mounted at ground level so opera- tors have easy and safe access to the pumps for monitoring and mainte- nance, without the need for cranes.
Phil Chegwidden, pro- ject manager on the job for Darling Irrigation, has
been impressed by how easy the pumps were to install, how quickly the pumps prime and how smoothly they operate.
He said he can under- stand why many abattoirs have standardised on Gor- man-Rupp pumps for their wastewater systems.
www.hydroinnovations. com.au
ALL FLOORING IS MADE TO SIZE AT NO EXTRA COST