Category: KCGO News

Reminder to Members – Office Closure Times

SRA Media Release

SRA opens new initiative for sugarcane milling research

Sugar Research Australia (SRA) has announced a new research investment scheme that will work with the milling sector to deliver productivity, profitability, and sustainability outcomes, ultimately benefiting both sugarcane millers and growers.

Called the Small Milling Research Project (SMRP) investment scheme, it will see SRA invest in small projects to develop a product, service, or process that will solve targeted problems in sugar mills and deliver tangible outputs with almost immediate outcomes.

Applications are open from now until 28 February 2018, with applicants able to apply for up to $75,000 for their project.

This initiative has come in direct response to feedback from our milling investors and stakeholders, and in particular during the development of our SRA Strategic Plan 2017/18 “ 2021/22, SRA CEO, Mr Neil Fisher, said.

The SRA Board has approved this initiative to allow SRA to work on priority areas of research that align with the needs of our milling investors. The investment is included in our current total investment in our Key Focus Area (KFA) of Milling Efficiency and Technology.

Mr Fisher said that the initiative was an opportunity to invest in lower-cost, short-term, industry-identified and preferably industry-led research.

In the process, the scheme will strengthen collaborations between industry and research through the direct involvement of the milling sector in SMRPs and increase research skills and capability in sugar mills, he said.

SRA is now calling for applications for this new initiative. We encourage researchers to collaborate with industry to put forward their best ideas for new projects.

For more information, visit the SRA website at https://sugarresearch.com.au/research-investment/small-milling-research-project-initiative/.

Qld Government – Business Energy Savers Program

Significant cost savings can be realised through businesses pursuing energy efficiency options. Simple changes/upgrades can deliver cost reductions of 30% with paybacks as short as 1 year.

The $20 million Business Energy Savers Program, an initiative under the Affordable Energy Plan, provides free energy audits for agricultural customers and large business customers, and co-contributions to fund energy efficiency upgrades.

The program provides audits for businesses covering a broad range of industry sectors that are vital to our economy, and advice to businesses on how they can reduce their electricity costs by using electricity more efficiently.

It includes a 3 year extension of the existing Energy Savers Plus Program (for agricultural businesses) and the Large Customer Adjustment Program (for large electricity users).

Under the expanded Energy Savers Plus Program, up to 200 additional audits for agricultural customers will be completed. In addition to this, co-contribution grants of up to $20,000 will be made available to assist businesses in implementing the recommendations from the audit.

Under the expanded Large Customer Adjustment Program an additional 30 audits of large customers will be completed and co-contributions capped at up to $250,000 will be made available to help encourage the business to implement the audit recommendations.

The Business Energy Savers Program also provides broader benefits through the development of case studies to assist other businesses wanting to reduce their energy costs by using electricity more efficiently.

Register your interest

• Sign up to receive program updates and to register your interest in the expanded Energy Savers Plus Program.
• Sign up to receive program updates and to register your interest in the expanded Large Customer Adjustment Program.

Les Elphinstone

MANAGER / COMPANY SECRETARY