Media releases: 22 November 2022
FRRR is pleased to announce the first eight* lead organisations that will partner with FRRR and ARLF on the Helping Regional Communities Prepare for Drought Initiative, through the Community Impact Program. This is a part of the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.
These eight locally-based groups will undertake a local program co-design process, with the support of on-the-ground facilitators and FRRR staff, to design local community focused drought preparedness activities, in collaboration with a diverse range of local program collaborators community involvement. That will occur in February, with the final plan and budget coming back to FRRR for assessment. Funding will be announced in early May and projects can then get underway.
“Among the significant communities challenges, we were incredibly pleased to see the creativity and tenacity of communities to plan ahead for drought in the future. The diverse range, strength and depth of Expressions of Interests put forward for consideration in Stage 1 demonstrate the importance of place-based, locally designed programs that respond to local conditions and context like this new program and approach,” said Nina O’Brien, FRRR’s Disaster Resilience & Climate Solutions Portfolio Lead.
In regard to other locations, many regions have been impacted by flooding since lodging their EOI, while in other areas there was more than one group that put forward a proposal to be the lead applicant. Over the coming weeks, FRRR will work with those groups to identify the lead applicant, before those communities also enter into a similar planning process. We will, therefore, be revising the program timelines for this cohort of communities and will advise that when that is agreed.
In the meantime, if you have any questions, email futuredrought@frrr.org.au or call 1800 170 020 to speak with one of the program team.
* Update January 2023 – The lead in the Great Southern Region did not proceed to co-design.
The community leads in the regions are:
| Location | Organisation |
|---|---|
| #colspan# | QUEENSLAND |
| Darling Downs and Burnett | Red Earth Community Foundation South Burnett Limited |
| Fitzroy Capricornia | Dawson Catchment Coordinating Association Inc |
| Hinterland to Gulf | Northern Gulf Resource Management Group Ltd |
| Cape York - Torres Strait | Cape York Natural Resource Management Ltd |
| #colspan# | WESTERN AUSTRALIA |
| Great Southern* | Stirlings to Coast Farmers Inc |
| South-West | South West Catchment Council |
| #colspan# | SOUTH AUSTRALIA |
| Arid Lands | SA Arid Lands Landscape Board |
| Eyre Peninsula | Agricultural Innovation & Research Eyre Peninsula Incorporated |
