The agency is referred to as the Department of Primary Industries and Regions SA on the main government website, but refers to itself as Primary Industries and Regions SA on its own website. Along with SARDI, PIRSA has been located at the Waite Research Precinct, alongside the University of Adelaide's Waite campus since about 1994. A new chief executive, Michelle Edge, was appointed on 10 March 2020, after Scott Ashby's contract was due to expire in April 2020. The purpose of the agency is to "grow primary industries and drive regional development". Its key areas of work include primary industry, marine aquaculture, and biosecurity. Agribusiness, covering "food and beverage, field crops, meat and livestock, wine, seafood, horticulture and forestry sectors" are seen as mainstays and growth areas of the South Australian economy. The Fisheries and Aquaculture division manages the state's fish stocks, along with industry and the community, by developing and implementing policy and regulations to ensure sustainable development of the aquaculture industry. It employs Fisheries Officers to monitor compliance with fishing regulations. PIRSA runs a grants program, for farm industry business owners and operators.
In October 1992the SouthAustralian Department of Agriculture, the Department of Fisheries, and the Department of Woods and Forests merged to form Primary Industries South Australia. In late 1996 or early 1997 the name of Mines and Energy South Australia was changed to Mines and Energy Resources South Australia. In October 1997, PISA and MERSA merged to form Primary Industries and Resources SA, or Department of Primary Industries and Resources SA. In 2011/12 it changed its name to Primary Industries and Regions SA. In early 2019, the Pastoral Board of South Australia, which governs pastoral leases in South Australia, moved from the Department for Environment and Water, to PIRSA. In August 2019, PIRSA and SARDI entered a partnership with the University of Adelaide, in which scientists in diverse disciplines will be able to access PIRSA's research farms share their academic knowledge to the agricultural sector. The collaboration is anticipated to help develop SA's expertise in dryland agriculture, by encouraging multi-disciplinary research and help to bring about new export opportunities.
, PIRSA is managing a review of current biosecurity legislation in South Australia, which has until now been covered by multiple pieces of legislation, with the aim of creating a new single and cohesive Biosecurity Act for the state based on the current policy developed by PIRSA.
Examples of PIRSA's work
In November 2007, PIRSA administered a travel survey in Adelaide, which identified the need for secure parking for bicycles in the city. A parking station for 21 bikes was built in a basement at the Grenfell Centre, which proved very popular. It also established a Bicycle User Group. Two men were caught fishing at Wallaroo by PIRSA Fisheries Officers for snapper during the annual closure period in December 2014, and later fined for failing to comply with several offences. PIRSA were involved, along with other agencies, in impact assessment of the damage done to many types of agricultural enterprises in South Australia by the December 2019 bushfires, in order to help with landholders' recovery from the fire. Advice on caring for stock, technical support and coordinating various types of assistance were given those who suffered losses from the fires, many of whom were located around Cudlee Creek and on Kangaroo Island.
South Australia. Dept. of Primary Industries and Resources
South Australia. Department of Primary Industries and Resources
P.I.R.S.A.
PIRSA
South Australia. Primary Industries and Resources SA
South Australia. Dept. of Primary Industries and Natural Resources
Some of the above are standardised names used by librarians, which in natural English as per article names here would be Department of Primary Industries and Regions, as per sa.gov.au as of 2020.
