MRIC launches Mallee Resources – a pathway to regional discovery

The Mallee Regional Innovation Centre (MRIC) has launched a tool called Mallee Resources, a gateway to resources such as research, data, maps, reports, clips, submissions and other like materials about the region.

MRIC has spent the last 12 months working with the University of Melbourne to develop, test and optimise the tool.

Search options and filtering will provide information on the listed resource, including name of the item, author, a short description, resource type and relevant categories.

Mallee Regional Innovation Centre Chief Executive Officer Rebecca Wells

The tool’s framework allows the user to search content directly or to filter it through the four themes of horticulture, water, energy and the environment, MRIC Chief Executive Officer Rebecca Wells said.

I think the ability to filter and search is what really makes this tool of value.

The user can click directly through to the resource to access the information where it is housed. The tool essentially plays a role in pointing the user to the ‘source of truth,’ Ms Wells said.

The tool catalogues more than 100 items of local relevance to the region. The categories of energy, environment, horticulture and water can be used as a standalone way of filtering the material, or in conjunction with search terms, or the search terms themselves can be used without filters.

Much of the content is freely available, and other resources may require the user to pay a small fee or become a subscriber. The idea was to show the community where valuable local information is available, Ms Wells said.

We have had some great feedback from organisations. There is a real appreciation for the ability to go through one gateway to access many themes of information. Ms Wells said.

For example, not all growers know that Agriculture Victoria (CSIRO) soil maps of the region are available online. If you search ‘soil’, the search results will show a number of options that provide that pathway through to where the soil surveys of the region are housed. Ms Wells said.

For further information about the Mallee Resources tool or to incorporate your organisation’s content in the gateway, contact the Centre administration via MRIC-info@unimelb.edu.au

MRIC partners and MRIC team members left to right: Geoff Dea, MRIC Board member (CEO SuniTAFE), Professor Ashley Franks, MRIC Co-Director (La Trobe University), Leonie Burrows Chair MRIC Strategic Advisory Panel, Rebecca Wells CEO MRIC, Professor Michael Stewardson MRIC Director (The University of Melbourne), Peter Forbes MRIC Board member (Regional Development Victoria) and Matthew Toulmin MRIC Research Manager.