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The Cooperative Research Centre for Premium Quality Wool
(Wool CRC) was established by the Australian Government in July 1993 under
the Cooperative Research Centres
Program1. It's aim is to improve the quality and
competitive position of Australian wool in the world textile market.
The Parties involved in the Wool CRC were CSIRO through the Divisions of Animal Production (DAP) and Textile and Fibre
Technology (DWT), Agriculture
Western Australia (AgWA), The
Woolmark Company, and the Universities of New England (UNE), New South Wales (UNSW), Adelaide (UA) and Western Australia (UWA).
A number of other organisations or companies were involved
in the activities of the Wool CRC as supporting parties. Included in this
category are NSW
Agriculture (NSW Ag), the South
Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), the National
Council of Wool Selling Brokers of Australia Ltd and the Australian Wool
Testing Authority Ltd. The New South Wales and Western Australian State
Governments and the George Aitken Pastoral Trust have also made
substantial cash grants for capital equipment purchases.
The development of links with industry was an integral
feature of the Australian Government CRC Program. The activities of the
Wool CRC have been supported in various ways and to
different degrees by a number of companies or organisations including G H
Michell and Sons (Australia) Pty Ltd., Norwellan Textiles Pty Ltd., Merino
Ratings Pty Ltd, Giovanni Schneider SpA, Yarra Falls Pty Ltd (*),
Chargeurs Textiles Pty Ltd., Macquarie Textiles Pty Ltd., The Australian
Association of Stud Merino Breeders, Merinotech Australia Pty Ltd., and
three western Australian farmer groups (Cranmore Marketing Group, The Wool
Foundation and The Wool Quality Project).
Over its seven-year initial term, the Wool CRC was
supported by total funding of around $57.5 million, of which $15.5 million
was provided by the Australian Government through the Wool CRC Grant
and $42 million by the core parties.
The Management Structure of the CRC was based around a Board, an Executive Committee, a Commercialisation Committee, Project Leaders. Overall management responsibility resided with the Director.
1 The CRC Program is acknowledged as one of the success
stories of Australian science. Established in 1990 to foster industry and
public sector collaboration in research and training, it brings together
universities, other public sector research agencies and industry. The 62
CRCs undertake collaborative research, industry training and postgraduate
education with a strong emphasis on applications.
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