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CSIRO's Kapalga Research Station has pioneered ecological research in northwestern Australia, especially World Heritage listed Kakadu National Park.
Federal Minister for Primary Industry and Energy, Senator Bob Collins, is commemorating CSIRO's contribution to the north at Kapalga Open Day (Wednesday 5 April). Senator Collins is a former CSIRO research officer, and one of the first to work on Kapalga.
For the past two decades, Kapalga has been at the forefront of research for conservation management in tropical Australia. Senator Collins said Kapalga had played a key role in understanding the ecology of northern Australia as a basis for its sustainable development.
CSIRO ceases its management role at Kapalga next month, in order to expand its studies across northern Australia as part of a newly formed Co-operative Research Centre.
Studies at Kapalga initially focussed on the wildlife of Kakadu's famous wetlands, but has since expanded to tackle other important issues such as fire management. Fire is Kakadu's most contentious land management issue, and CSIRO has established a landscape-scale fire experiment at Kapalga.
CSIRO Officer-in-Charge in Darwin, Dr Dick Braithwaite, said 130 research projects had been based on Kapalga, resulting in more than 190 important scientific publications.
"Kapalga has been the focus of ecological research by scientists from CSIRO, various land management agencies, and universities from Australia and overseas", he said.
Dr Braithwaite said CSIRO hopes that Kapalga will continue to be operated as a research station after CSIRO leaves.
Further information:
Ms Barbara McKaige - CSIROMr Brian Johnson - Senator Collins' office
ph. (06) 277 7520
MEDIA NOTE : Kapalga Research Station has only one phone (089) 790 101.
Senator Collins and CSIRO staff will be available for phone interviews between 1.15pm and 2.00pm NT time. Please phone and leave details (name, media outlet, phone no., name of person to be interviewed and preferred interview time) on the answering machine. Kapalga is out of range for mobile phones.
ALL MEDIA WELCOME TO ATTEND.
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