Summary and way forward
The New Zealand Government ceased funding agricultural extension. This changed the role and focus of the newly established organisation , which became a consultancy business. Not only did this change result in a loss of corporate knowledge about extension, but also there has been no government-funded organisation available to combine research and practice to develop new paradigms, methods and tools for achieving change. Hence the adoption-diffusion model remains the dominant paradigm of extension amongst researchers. What we lack is an adequate theoretical framework that enables more effective sharing of activities and concepts. As Lewin once said, ‘nothing is as practical as a good theory’. The diminution of extension in New Zealand catalysed research into exploring new frameworks for achieving organisational goals through the changed actions of some target group. Many practitioners in Australia appear to be busy "doing" extension but the context relating to the funder has been lost. We need to look at a way to link the two systems and learn from each other in a way that will benefit both – the research and the doing.
There is a difference, however, between the intent to work together and the formal conditions (organisational boundaries, expectations, competitive funding), which often make it difficult to happen. We have assumed here that working together across countries and professions is better than working independently. This assumption should itself be subject to critical reflection.
An important implication for Australia is that to cease funding agricultural extension is to lose an infrastructure and skill set capable of helping to achieve policy goals in primary industries and rural communities. While it is legitimate to devolve consultancy to the private sector, it is crucial to retain a critical mass of extension capability to achieve public-good goals. Finding the balance will be the challenge.