Govt to give DPIRD $131.5m

The state government will outlay $131.5 million of additional funds for the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) in the upcoming budget.

In a statement, the government said the previous Liberal-National government, cut funding for the then-Department of Agriculture and Food by 37 per cent.

“This resulted in a significant loss of agricultural capability and a budget black hole threatening to further erode the department's ability to deliver for the state's agriculture sector,” it said.

The government said the expenditure secured in the 2019-20 budget, which will be released in May, will allow the DPIRD to fulfil its role in supporting WA's primary industries and regional communities.

As part of the cash injection, long-term funding has been secured for programs that were previously funded on a short-term basis, including Boosting Biosecurity Defences, Asian Market Success and Boosting Grains Research and Development.

The expenditure also includes $3.3 million for critical upgrades to laboratories at DPIRD's South Perth facility to ensure important agricultural scientific work can continue at the site.

Agriculture and Food Minister Alannah MacTiernan said WA's agricultural sector needs long-term, government-led research and innovation to remain at the forefront of international competition.

"The previous Liberal National government slashed the then-Department of Agriculture and Food WA and left a massive black hole in funding for the agency in the forward estimates,” she said.

"In this year's budget, we are securing the future of the State's agricultural efforts - we're plugging the funding gap and putting DPIRD on a sustainable footing to deliver the best outcomes for our agricultural sector.”