Future of the Tropical Savannas CRC

The Tropical Savannas CRC will officially end on June 30 2008, however, a number of TS-CRC initiatives that operate across northern Australia will continue.

• NAILSMA is continuing to go from strength to strength and has just received over $5.5M to support Indigenous engagement in water resource management and will be expanding its staff. NAILSMA will be administered by Charles Darwin University and will continue to operate across north Australia working with a range of groups involved in Indigenous land and sea management.
  
  
• The TS-CRC's approach to fire management research will continue to operate across north Australia, drawing on other funding. Fire management by Indigenous communities involving carbon abatement will be a significant driver here and will continue in West Arnhem Land with a similar project due to start in the Kimberley with others to follow.
  
  
• The activities of the Savanna Riparian Health Project including the continued roll-out of the Tropical Rapid Assessment of Riparian Condition technique across northern Australia, will be incorporated into the Tropical Rivers and Coastal Knowledge Centre. This Centre will also take on the TS–CRC's water-trading research.
  
  
• Cooperative research into carbon dynamics will continue to operate across the savannas with support from ARC and LWA funds among other sources. Work will examine carbon stores across the savannas and non-CO₂ greenhouse gas emissions from soils as a function of land management. How does land management affect greenhouse gas emissions? What is fire doing to carbon fluxes at a landscape scale? How well do carbon models developed for southern ecosystems work in savanna ecosystems? How does weed invasion affect carbon storage in vegetation and soils? These are some of the major questions to be investigated.
  
  
• Collaboration on biodiversity research will continue between Queensland and the Northern Territory, although with more limitations than in the past.
  
  
• Meat and Livestock Australia is looking to continue collaborative research across north Australia into sustainable grazing management and vegetation dynamics.
  
  
• The Professional Doctorate and Masters courses in Tropical Environmental Management will continue to be offered by CDU as well as some undergraduate units that draw on the cross-savanna resources of the CRC.
  
  
• We intend to continue operating TS-CRC's NRM websites for northern Australia including the NAFI fire-tracking website  www.firenorth.org.au; the Land Manager website www.landmanager.org.au; as well as the new InfoNet website for NRM planning using alternative funding after the end of the TS-CRC. As much as possible we want these sites to continue to be responsive to users across northern Australia.
  
  

• It is also planned that Centre's general website www.savanna.cdu.edu.au will continue to operate and provide access to our publications, as will the general information Savanna Explorer website www.savanna.org.au and regular issues of Savanna Links.

• Similarly, the CRC's Tropical Knowledge in Schools initiative plans to continue on new funding and will complete the four interactive modules planned for NT Schools and expand the program to other parts of north Australia. The Environorth website www.environorth.org.au will also be maintained.

Despite these initiatives, the demise of the TS-CRC will see a significant reduction in the capacity to assemble long-term NRM research projects that cross jurisdictions, sectors and disciplines in northern Australia. Once the make-up of the next Federal Government is determined, options will be pursued for funding a body to continue the role of the TS-CRC in northern Australia.