NEWS
ALTSA’s passing the test “It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data.” Arthur Conan Doyle’s mastermind
belly of Sunraysia’s next generation of
in a place like this, I’m in. “We want to
science and agriculture students.
recover that. We want ALTSA to be a
Since establishing the site, restoring the building and grounds and acquiring
welcoming place to work and to visit, for customers and school kids.”
technical equipment fit for an industry-
Alongside operating a commercial
leading facility, the ALTSA team began
laboratory, Ray said one of ALTSA’s
offering its key services, including soil
main goals was to give back to the
and plant nutrition testing, chemical
community, particularly through
The same can be said about ALTSA –
and residue analysis, food and wine
science education and exposure.
Analytical Laboratories and Technical
microbiology and environmental
Services Australia – which is putting
testing – most of which is provided to
Sunraysia back on the map for its first-
the horticulture industry.
detective Sherlock Holmes knew the value of analysing data, imparting, “I cannot make bricks without clay”.
rate analytical capabilities.
Many Sunraysia growers would be
Housed at the former CSIRO Merbein
familiar with ALTSA and general
South location, ALTSA has tasked
manager Ray Harris – if not through
itself with the goal of becoming a
their soil and plant nutrient analyses
world-class laboratory and centre
or MRL tests, through Ray’s extensive
of excellence.
career in science and large regional
For the fledgling facility opened in
network.
2018, what that entails is operating
“I came (to the CSIRO) as a work
a commercial state-of-the-art
experience student from Mildura
laboratory with a focus on expert
High School when I was 15, and I
agricultural and environmental
thought this was one of the most
analyses, channelling the brilliance of
beautiful workplaces I’d ever been
its predecessor through research and
to,” Ray said. “I thought, I want to be
innovation, and lighting a fire in the
a scientist, because if you can work
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“We’re big on having students come through when COVID goes away, because we see that it’s in our interest,” he said. “Down the track they could be future recruits who come and work for us, or these same kids could end up working for our customers. “Science is so critical to farming, it’s becoming more and more. Farmers have got to be up with everything, and the students who come through could become agronomists, laboratory people, farm managers or processing managers.” Such high-end tests require
