AGRICULTURE and Food acting-director general Mark Webb who has backed the department's role in research and investment, is pushing the government to see it as a "good investment'' and will spend the next few months touring the regions to reconnect with farmers and the universities.
Mr Webb commenced his acting role in March and will continue to prioritise changes to the Department of Agriculture and Food (DAFWA) until his contract finishes next March.
His appointment has coincided with the appointment of a new Agriculture and Food Minister Dean Nalder and a stocktake of DAFWA's role and functions following significant budget and staffing cuts.
Ahead of the 2016/17 State Budget, Mr Webb said he has been holding weekly discussions with Mr Nalder about DAFWA's future and any potential reforms.
He wants to convince the government that the department is a "good investment".
"Mr Nalder is very supportive of the department being a key player in the space it should be in," Mr Webb said.
"We have had about three or four meetings and he has been clear about his idea of what the role of the department is.
"It is about understanding what industry needs, farmers and the whole supply chain."
Mr Webb warned DAFWA "couldn't be everything to everyone", but its role could be reaffirmed through the review.
"It is a matter of public record that it has been a challenging time for DAFWA," he said.
"Part of my agenda working with the minister is to demonstrate a dollar invested into DAFWA is a dollar well invested."
Mr Webb said DAFWA needed to deliver on its key focus of maintaining biosecurity controls.
"We need to ensure we properly resource biosecurity and other legislative requirements DAFWA has," he said.
"We have contractual obligations and we need to deliver on those."
He believed it was a good time to be in the sector.
"One thing I have been impressed by, I see passionate and competent people doing a good job," he said.
"There has been comments made about DAFWA's role in research and development and I see science across all the departments.
"Of the 1058 head count of staff spread across the State, more than 40 per cent are actively engaged with R&D and extension.
"There is still a sense that this is an agency that delivers R&D that is consistent with the role DAFWA should play."
Mr Webb said in the next eight months he will continue to work with Mr Nalder on DAFWA's direction and improving support for WA's agriculture industry.
"The strategic plan really sets out quite clearly what DAFWA's role is,'' he said.
"For me it's really about the mid-year stocktake report, the Minister's and government's direction, which I think is really clear and how they underpin the strategic plan."
Mr Webb said he would tour the regions to strengthen existing relationships with industry partners, farmers, the supply chain and universities.
Mr Webb said universities have a large part to play.
"It is about facilitating the work," he said.
"If we don't do the work, how do we facilitate others to do that work? I see that being an important part of my role ."
The government is expected to advertise for a permanent direct-general during the year.
