Written by Clare Beeston

Goondiwindi has recently celebrated the establishment of its own regional hub as a part of the One Basin CRC, working closely in the region to create powerful, innovative partnerships between research and community linked to the Murray–Darling Basin.

The Goondiwindi Hub will focus on building resilience in cropping and grazing areas within the Condamine-Balonne and Border Rivers catchment areas.

Regional Hub Manager for Goondiwindi Marti Beeston believes the benefits of the the hub will greatly impact the local community.

‘The water issues across the Murray–Darling Basin are significant, and it’s so important that communities like Goondiwindi feel they are being heard and that these problems are addressed. It’s been really exciting as a Goondiwindi local who is passionate about our environment and industry to be involved with an organization like the CRC, whose aim is to provide productive, resilient and sustainable irrigation regions.’

With a passion for supporting their local communities, the CRC has made a commitment to having 75 percent of funded staff based out of the four Hub locations (Goondiwindi, Griffith, Mildura, and Loxton), which will include researchers, PhD students and, on occasion, academics, ensuring that staff are being employed locally.

‘We know how important the Murray–Darling Basin is to our agricultural region,’ says Cr Julia Spicer OAM of the Goondwindi Regional Council.

‘The value and opportunity that comes from being the northern hub of the One Basin CRC is exciting. It will be important that the CRC can work with industry and the community to have strong research projects that will encourage PHD researchers and others to visit the region in the short term, and live here in the longer term. Goondiwindi Regional Council will work with the CRC to support these outcomes.’

Goondiwindi’s regional hub is a concerted effort to enable co-innovation between stakeholders, researchers, service providers, program designers and more, but also provides a place of connection for the hub’s regional advisory committee.

Chair of the One Basin CRC Goondiwindi Regional Advisory Committee Graeme Scheu is equally looking forward to the opportunities that will arise from the new CRC Goondiwindi Hub.

‘I feel very privileged to be the first Chair of the Regional Advisory Committee for the Goondiwindi Hub,’ says Mr Scheu.

‘I’ve had a long connection with the Murray–Darling system, especially the northern basin, and I’m really excited to be a part of what the CRC is doing.’

With plenty on the horizon, the Goondiwindi One Basin CRC Hub is looking to make a difference in the local community and wider northern basin. This includes having researchers and PhD students ready to move to the region and connecting with local stakeholders, while also growing and establishing the regional advisory committee, which will ensure the interests of the region are addressed.