THE long-awaited Cowan Report has finally been released months after the Education Minister Liz Constable commissioned the report on post-secondary agricultural education in WA, particularly concerning the future use of Muresk.
But the agricultural industry is now waiting for the Minister to implement the six recommendations of the report.
The report proposed that Muresk become a multi-use facility offering agricultural higher education qualifications, TAFE qualifications, short-term industry training and farm-based research and, under the recommendations, CY O'Connor Institute would commence agricultural education programs in 2011.
The report, overseen by Hendy Cowan, also identified the need for a better skilled workforce in agricultural industries and an increasing supply of graduates from higher education.
It said more students, particularly from rural and regional areas, needed to be encouraged to gain qualifications in agriculture and it proposed that Muresk be managed by a statutory board of management.
Ms Constable said the report found that to meet the challenges and opportunities of WA's agricultural sector, the rural workforce needed to be more skilled with more secure career paths.
"The report also said that the image of agriculture needed to be changed to recognise the benefits of working in agriculture in country WA," Ms Constable said.
Curtin University of Technology, which recently decided to phase out teaching at the Northam campus, will continue to use the campus in 2011 for current students but there will be no new intakes in 2011.
Curtin's remaining, continuing students will use the Muresk campus for its undergraduate programs until the end of 2012, when the University will cease teaching there.
Curtin's Vice-Chancellor Jeanette Hackett said Curtin and CY O'Connor had been working together to develop pathways into degree courses for students.
"A Structural Adjustment Fund application has been submitted to the Federal Government by the two organisations to assist them to enhance teaching and learning in the region, support the long term sustainability of agricultural education in WA and to develop student pathways," Ms Hackett said.
From February 2011 CY O'Connor will be offering a Certificate III in Agriculture or Rural Operations focusing on workplace-based rural skills, a pathway leading to the Associate Degree program in Agribusiness which, subject to Ministerial approval, will commence in Semester Two next year.
CY O'Connor Institute managing director John Scott said the Institute was within a few weeks of submitting an application for registration to deliver higher education programs, with the review of the application expected to take about six months.
Mr Scott said CY O'Connor was in the process of signing formal agreements with several Perth-based universities to partner in the provision of higher education programs in other disciplines besides agribusiness, including education, allied health and business.
"With the support of the State Government, the intention would be to develop the Muresk campus as an education and training precinct," Mr Scott said.
But the Muresk Old Collegians Association (MOCA) and WAFarmers said even though it was pleasing to see the report finally released, action now needed to be taken on the recommendations.
MOCA president and the Muresk Advisory Committee for CY O'Connor Institute chair Dr Ian Fairnie said he was happy the report was released but now he was waiting for the Government's response to the funding recommendations in the report.
"All this is great but we need to see the money and it has to be adequate," Dr Fairnie said.
"It's one thing to make the decision to have CY O'Connor step in, in 2011 and replace what Curtin's been doing, but you can't do that if there are no funds.
"I'm speaking as the chair of the advisory committee for CY O'Connor my strong advice to CY O'Connor is that if there is no money, then it's impossible to take over."
Dr Fairnie said the most important recommendation in the report was the independent statutory board of management.
MOCA vice-president Floyd Sullivan said the outcome of the report was a great thing for agricultural education from an agribusiness point of view.
"From a business point of view, there's a great future ahead," Mr Sullivan said.
Mr Sullivan said the certificate course offered by CY O'Connor was a positive thing for agriculture but he would like to see a bit more substance and more tertiary involvement.
MOCA secretary Roy Duncanson said he welcomed the release of the report but now the Minister had to implement the recommendations.
"We are happy that Muresk will continue to play a role in agricultural education and now we are putting forward solid proposals to build it into the future," Mr Duncanson said.
"We've got proposals on the table about what should happen to Muresk."
But Mr Duncanson said even though the Minister had now released the report, there was no evidence of consultation with industry.
"At a personal level, my view is that the TAFE sector has a role to play, but it can't be the only role," he said.
WAFarmers policy director Alan Hill also said it was pleasing for the Cowan report to finally be released, but stressed that the Minister now needed to enact the recommendations.
"The Cowan report made management and funding recommendations which will be critical to the ongoing success for Muresk as a provider of post-secondary agricultural education," Mr Hill said.
"As yet, Minister Constable does not seem to have made any commitments to any of the six recommendations in the report, so WAFarmers is now calling for her and the State Government to do so."
