At the request of the Commonwealth Government, the wool industry is developing a National Wool Research, Development and Extension (RD&E) Strategy.

The National Wool RD&E Strategy will define the priority objectives for the wool industry in the long-term (next 20 years) and the technologies, products, tools and delivery methods required or desired to achieve those objectives.

The aims of the Strategy are the efficient use of funds and other resources, and improved industry uptake of innovation, based on a national collaborative approach to all agricultural research, development and extension.

Responsibility for delivery of the National Wool RD&E Strategy has been delegated to the Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia (DAFWA). AWI is responsible for facilitating the industry consultation on the strategy and is partnering with state primary industry agencies, the CSIRO and the university sector to develop the Strategy document.

Industry consultation with woolgrowers and post-farm organisations is currently underway and will continue until August 2010. Implementation of the Strategy will take place from 2011 onwards.

Woolgrowers are invited to participate in the development of the Strategy at workshops co-ordinated by AWI and state primary industry agencies.

The first workshop was held in Wagin, WA in March.

Upcoming workshops are planned for the following locations:

• Clare, SA: 14 July 2010 - cancelled due to insufficient registrations
• Bendigo, Vic: 16 July 2010 - cancelled due to insufficient registrations and will be rescheduled
• Campbelltown, TAS: 20 July 2010 - cancelled due to insufficient registrations and will be rescheduled
• Hamilton, VIC: 4 August 2010
• Merredin, WA: 10 August 2010
• Longford, TAS: 24 August 2010
• Broken Hill, NSW: 3 September 2010
• Young, NSW: 7 September 2010
• Armidale, NSW: 9 September 2010
• Charleville, Qld: 23 September 2010

Download a copy of the draft agenda - last updated - 05/08/10 (Word 216Kb) for the workshops and the letter of invitation (PDF 886Kb) from Karen Yurisich, the Executive Officer of National Wool Research, Development and Extension Strategy.

Further information about the National Wool RD&E Strategy is available in a background document (PDF 43.4Kb).

A summary (PDF 16Kb) of the Wagin workshop outcomes combined with the AWI Grower Forum of December 2009 is also available.

For further information, please email nationalstrategy@wool.com.