Director General’s report
In 2021/2022, DPIRD progressed some important initiatives and addressed some key issues for our department, industries and regions in an increasingly complex environment, with changing global and domestic drivers creating opportunities and challenges.
The COVID-19 pandemic continued to cast its shadow, but we remained focused on implementing programs to help businesses adapt and build resilience, including addressing workforce shortages while ensuring the safety and well-being of our staff.
A longer-term pressing issue is climate change. Through our $15m Carbon Farming and Land Restoration Program and new Carbon for Farmers Voucher program, we started to allocate funding to innovative projects to mitigate climate change through carbon sequestration. We also opened a $3.8m Sheep Feed Intake Facility at our Katanning Research Station, with a focus on research to reduce livestock methane emissions.
Our biosecurity preparedness again came to the fore as we initiated and progressed responses to several pest and disease threats and incursions, including red imported fire ant, polyphagous shothole borer beetle and blueberry rust, which could have a significant impact on our agricultural industries and environment.
To help guide our work and ensure our success on these and other priorities, we launched our new Strategic Intent 2022–26. It defines our role and purpose, reaffirming our commitment to ‘Protect, Grow and Innovate’ for our industries and regions. It reflects us as a more mature agency where collaboration across our core functions is critical to achieving our strategic outcomes.
Read the annual report for more.
