AN extra $131.5 million will be allocated to the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) in next month's State budget, spread across forward estimates for the next four years.
The government claims its committed allocation on top of recurrent funds will end a progressive decline in funding under three previous agriculture ministers - exemplified by a major refocus to outsourcing research and downsizing the former Department of Agriculture and Food WA (DAFWA) in 2015 forced on then minister Ken Baston by an unsympathetic cabinet.
It also claims the extra funding will counter a further 37 per cent decrease in agriculture department expenditure "built into" forward estimates by the previous government and help DPIRD "rebuild capacity and capability".
The extra funding will halt shedding of permanent staff, including some involved in scientific research, which the government claims has already "resulted in a significant loss of agricultural capability".
It claims the previous government's projections would have seen DPIRD staffing levels drop from a current 1640 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees to about 1300 in three years and to below 1000 by 2024-25.
Announcing the extra funding to be included in the State budget, due to be handed down by Treasurer Ben Wyatt on Thursday, May 9, Agriculture and Food Minister Alannah MacTiernan on Thursday at DPIRD's South Perth headquarters said staffing levels would "stabilise" at 1580 FTEs.
Ms MacTiernan said there may also be "opportunity" in future budgets to seek further funding for additional DPIRD staff for specific programs and projects such as the Wild Dog and Northern Beef Development programs and the Renewable Hydrogen project.
- More details on the project and a response from WAFarmers will appear in this Thursday's edition of Farm Weekly.