It has recently been announced that the Animal Resources Centre (currently based at Murdoch University) will close by the end of 2022 – which will create a huge gap for the medical research sector.
A reliable supply of small animals is critical to the sector’s important work.
As a network of organisations conducting medical research, WAHTN is very concerned about the WA Government’s decision to close the Centre.
The Centre provides a high-quality and affordable supply of small animals for medical research. It is relied upon by universities and institutes nationwide as the country’s only major facility of its kind.
Its closure will have a significant negative impact on the medical research sector: it will impact on the quality of animals available, lead to more in-house breeding (with increased costs and potential for animal wastage), and make it very difficult – or even impossible – to source certain strains. This will all reduce the sector’s capacity to continue delivering world-class and life-saving research.
We urge the WA Government to reconsider its decision to close the Centre within such a tight timeframe and to work with stakeholders to find a solution to ensure the continued availability of small animals for medical research in WA and beyond.
We’ll also be working closely with our partners in WA and our fellow Australian Health Research Alliance members to advocate for the sector on this issue.