FRRR’s CEO, Natalie Egleton, recently spoke at the Social Impact in the Regions Conference. Before participating in a panel discussion that was focussed on addressing challenges in remote, rural and regional Australia, Natalie delivered a brief presentation. The following are her speech notes.

All too often, regional communities are only visible to the rest of the country and to policymakers through a lens of crisis, disadvantage, or as somewhere from which resources needed by others can be extracted.

From the hundreds of community grants and conversations we have at FRRR, we know that is not the narrative regional communities want to focus on. The challenges are definitely there; regional communities live them every day. But what would happen if we flipped the narrative to one where regions are understood, invested in and valued for their intrinsic value – their innovation, intelligence, creativity and contribution to their own and the nation’s wellbeing and economies?

The possibilities are remarkable when we do this. I’m going to share three case studies of communities and organisations that FRRR has partnered with over multiple years as they navigated these very questions. I’m not telling their story on their behalf but sharing what we noticed throughout our funding partnerships with them. They stand out but are by no means the only such organisations and communities. And a hint – there are some common themes about the different types and roles of backbone organisations; the capacity for challenges to catalyse innovation; and why place-based change takes time – sometimes generations.

Red Ridge Interior Queensland

Red Ridge Interior is in Blackall – almost the centre of Queensland. They are an arts organisation at their heart and evolved into so much more during the drought that crippled much of western Queensland in the mid 2000’s until very recently. Their model is one of collaboration that supports outcomes like intergenerational connection, First Nations economic self-determination, women’s health and wellbeing, and leadership development.

The first grant we awarded was just $2,500 to help them build a better business model. We have since supported many of their initiatives. Over the years, as they’ve grown in confidence – and people have built confidence in them –they’ve blown it out of the park.

Red Ridge described themselves as an auspice for local projects – but I would argue that they have played a backbone role for western Queensland.

In remote communities like Blackall, there are fewer services, small, dispersed populations, and narrow economies. They need organisations that can play integrated and multifaceted roles across population groups, industries and join dots in policy and funding systems to make them work for their local context.

One of their activities is the now annual Channel Country Ladies Day – an event with the tagline ‘inspiration in isolation’. It brings together women from across the channel country, right down into Birdsville and further north to Longreach and surrounds.

It was an idea born during the drought, when the load that women were carrying – caring for family, finding ways to generate off-farm income, managing the farm business – was noticed, alongside the fact that they weren’t caring for themselves. This is not any ordinary event; it brings together hundreds of women for reprieve, wellbeing support, fun and skill development. It also builds economic opportunity by creating space for micro-enterprises, and enterprise development. It’s a space for hard conversations and care for people doing hard work.

As the drought’s impacts deepened, Red Ridge saw an opportunity to play a role in ‘finding beauty in the drought’ and created the Dress the Central West event. They partnered with Central West Hospital and Health Service (CWHHS) and Central West Aboriginal Corporation (CWAC) to create the fashion parade of the year, Dress the Central West. Teaming with Fashion designer Claudia Williams from Llani Creative, each outfit represented the history and traditions of the four communities involved in the project – Winton, Blackall, Longreach and Barcaldine.

The event tapped into layers of talent in the community and gave people who were often excluded from opportunities a platform to shine. With support from a fashion designer, communities designed several outfits that best represented their towns, stories and culture in the adversity of drought, using recycled or found material.

The work that Red Ridge and the communities of the Central West faced – and still face – include big challenges, but they have found ways to create energy from within communities to co-create new stories and futures.

Red Earth Community Foundation

Red Earth Community Foundation is one of about 40 place-based philanthropic foundations in Australia – a network that is growing and evolving dynamic community-owned models of generating and redistributing capital in their local communities. Red Earth covers the North and South Burnett and Cherbourg communities in Queensland.

FRRR has partnered with Red Earth since it was a seed of an idea, through many grants and strategic partnerships. It’s a leading model of community mobilisation and transformation from the ground up.

Like many innovations, a crisis was the catalyst for the formation of Red Earth Community Foundation, following a major flood event in 2014. Conversations among a few key people were about what the Burnett needed in 100 years’ time – it was a different vision and one that held a new narrative about its challenges. This was in a context of the Burnett describing the region as the hole in the doughnut – the region that had high needs and one of the highest rates of socio-economic disadvantage in the country. They saw investment flowing everywhere but the Burnett Inland.

Funding to support flood recovery occurred around the same time as funding to support setting up good governance for the emerging Foundation. The latter involved much consultation and education about what a community foundation structure might bring to the Burnett.

There was a space to shift – they could continue blaming and being victims of poor systems, or they could mobilise and create something else. So, they set out on a different path to most community foundations – instead of starting with money, they started with people and developed a community leadership program. More than 200 people have now graduated from the program and are activating opportunities across the region.

In just a decade, Red Earth has become a vital backbone for the region – they are a trusted convenor of community voice and action. Beyond the leadership program, they are facilitating major drought resilience and disaster preparedness initiatives, and brokering opportunities for community benefit from renewable energy projects.

FRRR and Red Earth are currently partnering on the Disaster Resilient: Future Ready program, which is supporting community co-design of disaster resilience across the small towns in the Burnett Inland region. The teams were together at the recent AIDR conference to showcase the work and learnings.

Red Earth’s is a story of people power and a collective decision to adopt an opportunity mindset.

Toolangi

The final example is not of a single organisation but rather a small community – population just 335 – in an area affected by Black Saturday bushfires in 2009; it’s about an hour and a half north east of Melbourne.

In this tiny village, the Community House is the hub and provides a central point of connection and information. It is mostly volunteer run, with a tiny amount of funding for operations and programming. When the fires impacted the town, the Community House was the central organisation for recovery efforts. They had to step up and play a far more complex role in rebuilding the town and people’s lives.

The Community House brought together the ideas and needs of the town and went about gradually planning and actioning – with small amounts of funding as they went. Of course they couldn’t do it all at once. And as such a small town and organisation, nor could they accept too much support all at once. So, FRRR worked alongside them, supporting the community when they were ready and as needs evolved and people were able to do some of the actual implementation.

The focus was on long-term recovery, regeneration, over weeks and months. Support was given in different places, at different times. The support via the Community House similarly took different forms, and as needs evolved, investment went with them. Some of the projects supported by FRRR included strategic thinking about how to approach recovery; a focus on wellbeing; the need to create a place where health and fitness – physical and emotional wellbeing – could support social wellbeing across different groups – students; women; men etc.

The weekly community fitness program had a huge impact on the community as they recovered and found a ‘new normal’ after the fires. People were at risk of becoming isolated and mental health was a growing issue. In a largely ageing community, physical wellbeing was the way in to addressing mental wellbeing. An evaluation of this program found significant reduction in risk factors and increases in wellbeing at a population level. In fact, the program is still running.

They also hosted others including the men’s shed and the community garden – and reactivated spaces in town that could support connection, healing and regeneration. While there were many people involved, one person in particular was, and still is, the glue for this town – she carefully, kindly, and strategically worked with the community to reimagine spaces and opportunities. She did it knowing that they would never attract the big money or media headlines and so worked smartly too – with locally led sustainability as the goal.

That’s often the reality for those working in remote, rural and regional communities – the challenges are there and it’s up to those of us living and working there to find our unique assets and strengths.

These three examples showcase what’s possible if we flip the narrative and invest in communities, especially in backbone organisations that can take carriage of maintaining focus for the long game. They come in different shapes and sizes and, when built from and by community, are vital parts of community infrastructure. The other lesson I’d share, both from my work at FRRR but also as the resident of a small rural community, is to work on the assumption that the money may never come – hard as that is, it can liberate new thinking and opportunity. I hope that these anecdotes encourage you to reconsider your view of remote, rural and regional Australia. It’s not all doom and gloom – even when times are tough. Imagine what might be possible if regions are truly understood, invested in and valued for their innovation, intelligence, creativity and the contribution they make to our nation’s wellbeing and prosperity.

FRRR launches new podcast series

Leaders from eleven community groups across Australia have shared their stories about the projects their communities embarked on in the depths of the drought that affected so much of Australia over the last decade. The stories can be heard on FRRR’s new Tackling Tough Times Together podcast.

Each of the 10 episodes looks back on a grant that was funded through the long-running Tackling Tough Times Together grant program. Guests are the local leaders behind the projects, who reflect on what shaped the project and most importantly, the impact that it had. They talk about the challenges they faced, how they responded, the lessons they’ve learnt and the legacy that’s been left.

The podcast series supports the release of FRRR’s Tackling Tough Times Together Impact report. The program ran from 2014 to 2022 and sought to support remote, rural and regional communities that were actively in drought, or in the process of recovery from drought. In total, FRRR awarded $18.6 million via 681 grants, with at least half a million people benefitting from the program.

The projects discussed in the podcast range from refurbishing community halls and running community events, to setting up retail spaces so local artisans could generate valuable off-farm income; providing musical experiences that built confidence and skills in young people; to events that brought people together to support one another and to upskill, and art galleries that are not what you might expect.

Social connection was one of the biggest needs, especially as the drought dragged on, and among the stories shared is the Rural Connect project. In the first episode, Lesley Harvey, mental health specialist at the Royal Flying Doctor Service and Sue Kingwill, CEO of Contact Incorporated, talk about how the RFDS and Contact Inc came together to give people across far west New South Wales hope, after 10 years of relentless drought.

Nina O’Brien, FRRR’s Disaster Resilience & Recovery Lead, said that the series highlights the critical role of local leaders and local organisations in shaping a vibrant, resilient, sustainable and empowered community, despite the challenges of drought.

“Drought has always been an enduring feature within the Australian landscape and it’s had profound impacts right across the FRRR’s 25 year history. These conversations showcase the strength and tenacity of rural communities and highlight once again why investing in social capital is a vital puzzle piece for mitigating the impacts of drought.

“Social cohesion is literally the glue that binds these communities. It’s just so important for people to remain socially connected, engaged and feeling like they’re really supported. But when adversity strikes, it can easily be reprioritised, especially if it’s costly or doesn’t respond to the local context. By capturing these stories, we hope to inspire other communities and to celebrate the work of these groups,” Ms O’Brien said.

You can find the whole series at www.soundcloud.com/FRRRAustralia.

A report commissioned by FRRR into its long-running Tackling Tough Times Together (TTTT) drought support program has found that funding local not-for-profit organisations (NFPs) and community groups and activities that strengthen social capital during drought sustains communities and supports recovery.

The TTTT program ran from 2014 to 2022 and was collaboratively funded by government and philanthropy, awarding $18.6 million via 681 grants. The majority of funding – 84% – went to outer regional, remote or very remote community groups, which often struggle to access other funding. At least half a million people benefited from the program.

The report found there were clear benefits from the projects funded, both during the drought and in the longer-term. The funding helped mitigate the extreme impacts of drought on local people and communities, either directly through investment in human and social capital, or indirectly through built infrastructure investment, strengthening the enabling conditions for short and long-term community vitality.

The review also found:

FRRR’s CEO, Natalie Egleton, says that the TTTT program remains a unique grant program in the funding landscape across remote, rural and regional Australia.

“This program is unmatched in terms of supporting regional communities throughout the drought, and to a depth and ease of accessibility when other funding was not readily available. While there were guidelines of course, the program was flexible and allowed community groups to respond to and prioritise what was important in their town.

“Some of the other key learnings were around the importance of having a longer than usual timeframe for groups to deliver the projects, as well as the importance of the funding being available for more than just two or three years. This allowed some places to co-design projects that have had a lasting legacy. Continued support after drought-breaking rain was also critical,” she explained.

This report has reinforced FRRR’s advocacy for funding that is right-sized and tailored to rural communities and grassroots NFPs during drought as an approach that can mitigate the effects of drought on communities, economies and landscapes.

You can read the report online on FRRR’s website.

FRRR is hosting a webinar to share more of these learnings on Thursday 29 August, from 1:00-2:00 pm AEST. Register here: https://events.humanitix.com/tackling-tough-times-together-frrr-webinar.   

46 projects set to strengthen networks and capabilities

Thanks to funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund through the Helping Regional Communities Prepare for Drought Initiative’s Small Network Grants, FRRR has awarded $1,285,219 to 46 not-for-profit organisations (NFPs) for projects that will strengthen community preparedness and resilience to manage the impacts of future droughts.

Nina O’Brien, FRRR’s Disaster Resilience and Recovery Lead, said that these grants will make a practical difference in some of the areas most sensitive to drought and help communities prepare for the inevitable dry times ahead and challenges that, in some cases, are already evident.

“The diversity of organisations that have applied, coupled with our discussions with local leaders, provide invaluable insights into the wide range of persistent and emerging needs that remote, rural and regional Australia is facing in relation to drought. Mental wellness and personal resilience continues to be a strong theme. We are confident these projects, many of which focus on strengthening personal skills and social connection at a grassroots community level, will really pay positive dividends in the next drought.

“Proactive initiatives include Holbrook Landcare’s series of events in south western NSW featuring The Resilience Guys, who will focus on positive mental health and informal support mechanisms. This is a great example of a project that makes a difference on the ground, particularly for people who may not access traditional mental health services. Other projects include Katherine Town Council (NT), who are organising facilitated workshops for women focussing on social resilience and online support sessions, as well GroWQ who are set to deliver mental and physical first aid training across Far West QLD. Both these projects respond to the challenges of remoteness in drought sensitive regions.

“Community groups are also finding alternative ways to support information sharing and connection to counter the closure of media outlets in some regional areas, which is leaving people feeling disconnected and unheard. The emerging importance of locally-based, community radio projects such as 2Dry FM in Broken Hill in New South Wales, are an example of how communities are adapting to local need, changing ways to stay informed about future climate, and to stay connected.

“These Small Network Grants are flexible and help extend the geographic reach of the overall program, which means they will help address a wide range of needs that local community organisations have identified in diverse locations.

“We look forward to seeing how these grants help communities be better connected, informed and resourced in the next drought,” Ms O’Brien said.

The full list of grant recipients and their projects are below.

While the population of the South Australian Arid Lands is small, with just 24,000 people to a 525,000km² area, there is a strong and proud community spirit. Many families and people volunteer in community and government-led organisations, on top of their personal responsibilities. In the face of severe drought conditions, it can be difficult to maintain this spirit of resilience. Between 2017 to 2020, the region experienced one of the worst droughts on record. Every landscape, community, business and family in the region continues to feel the impact of that drought to this day.  Communities in this region must adapt and prepare for educating children in a very different way to their city counterparts, given the ever-changing impacts of seasonal weather, including drought.

Isolated Children’s Parents Association Marla-Oodnadatta (ICPA) is responsible for organising an annual state conference designed to enhance and enlighten agriculture-dependent communities and drive local action to assist in preparing for future challenges. This year’s ICPA conference was partially funded by a $5,000 FRRR grant awarded through the Community Impact Program, funded by the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund as part of the Helping Regional Communities Prepare for Drought Initiative.

By hosting the conference in Quorn, the ICPA made it easier for their members throughout SA to voice any concerns in relation to educating geographically isolated children. They reported that 35 separate organisations and 150 individuals participated.

They also organised a family-friendly, post-conference event to attract and engage the involvement of more men and families in the ICPA. Festivities included a town treasure hunt put together by Rural Aid, face painting, glitter tattoos, an auction, and a 20/20 cricket game between the ICPA men and Quorn cricket club.

By securing the grant, ICPA enabled their volunteer member base to attend the conference at no charge, strengthening connections and setting themselves up well to achieve great outcomes long into the future.

Kirsty Williams, the Marla-Oodnadatta Branch President said that it is great to have support for regional and remote groups like the ICPA. “Being volunteers, the support of FRRR makes our job that little bit easier.”

First round of Small Network Grants benefit 29 NFPs

FRRR has awarded $737,774 in Small Network Grants to 29 not-for-profit organisations (NFPs) working in remote, rural and regional Australia for projects that will strengthen the capacity and capability of their communities to prepare for, and be resilient to, the impacts of future droughts.

The Small Network Grants program is supported by the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund through the Helping Regional Communities Prepare for Drought Initiative.

Funded projects are diverse, including a Mental Health forum in Junee, NSW; a series of community connection and education events in Alice Springs, NT; a portable toilet to support small-scale community infrastructure projects in Boonah, QLD; a demonstration day for the new digital weather station and soil probe network in Kingscote, SA; Accidental Counsellor training for the Tasmanian community of Triabunna; a Field Day for local secondary students in Birchip, VIC; and a series of natural resources management and drought education sessions in the Great Southern WA region of Kendenup.

Nina O’Brien, FRRR’s Disaster Resilience and Recovery Lead, said strong interest in the program indicates that organisations and local leaders are actively seeking ways to inspire their communities to connect, communicate and strengthen social capital, so they can better withstand the impacts of future drought.

“Most of the applications we saw in this round of the Small Network Grants program were for projects designed to improve communication, social connection and collaboration within and between communities, as a way of strengthening and preparing for drought.

“Far North West Joint Organisation’s Drought Resilience Community Action Group is a great example of this type of initiative. With a $50,000 grant, the Action Group will help the communities of Bourke, Brewarrina, Walgett and Cobar to increase knowledge and resource sharing and promote collaboration, so that the NSW Far West region can be better prepared.

“More than half of the applications we received have never been funded by FRRR. This means we are reaching grassroots organisations and responding to the increased priority around drought preparedness in many remote, rural and regional communities, many of which are still recovering from other climate-related disasters like cyclone and flooding.

“We look forward to seeing how these projects help community groups be better connected, informed and resourced in the next drought,” Ms O’Brien said.

Applications for Round 2 of Small Network Grants are open now and close 26 March 2024, with recipients announced in June 2024.

Potential applicants are encouraged to watch this recorded webinar to learn more about the program and the eligibility requirements: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DHpeNQqPeI.

For more information, including the list of eligible LGAs, and to apply, visit: https://frrr.org.au/small-networks-grants.

The full list of grant recipients and their projects are below.

$20,000 and $50,000 grants to strengthen networks and capabilities

FRRR is encouraging community organisations in agriculture-dependent parts of Australia to apply for the latest round of Small Network Grants for initiatives that build community preparedness and resilience to future drought.

The Small Network Grants program is supported by the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund through the Helping Regional Communities Prepare for Drought Initiative.

Grants are available through two Streams of funding for simple, one-off, or seed-type initiatives designed to strengthen local networks and capabilities of remote, rural or regional communities. Stream 1 offers grants up to $20,000 to all agriculture-dependent remote, rural or regional areas (except Stream 2 locations). Stream 1 has an indicative funding pool of $1,175,900[i]. Stream 2 grants of up to $50,000 are available for groups in the NSW Far West, NT Tablelands, NT Arid Lands, Northern Queensland Dry Tropics and WA Great Southern. An indicative funding pool of $1,296,350 is available for Stream 2[ii].

Nina O’Brien, FRRR’s Disaster Resilience and Recovery Lead, said preparing for the inevitable dry times ahead is critical, particularly for Australia’s agriculture-dependent regions.

“Our Small Network Grants program empowers local organisations to strengthen the social fabric of their town or locality by identifying and acting on their region’s drought preparedness priorities, at a grassroots level, in ways that best suit their communities.

“We look forward to seeing projects that will help community groups be better connected, informed, and resourced in the next drought,” Ms O’Brien said.

The Small Network Grants program can fund projects that fit into one of these five categories:

• Networks: Initiatives to strengthen the capacity, capability, and coordination of professional, social or community networks
• Community Events: Field days, conferences, forums, summits, and seminars that facilitate professional, social and community connection to build understanding of drought and climate change associated risks.
• Training:  Initiatives to improve skills and capacity in community risk management, planning and project delivery in relation to drought.
• Community Infrastructure: Small scale community infrastructure projects to improve connectedness, wellbeing, and facilities.
• Development and Learning: Initiatives to facilitate professional, personal and leadership related development and learning to support drought preparation.

Applications are open now and close 26 March 2024, with recipients announced in June 2024.

Potential applicants are invited to watch this recorded webinar to learn more about the program and the eligibility requirements:

For more information, including the list of priority LGAs, and to apply, visit: https://frrr.org.au/small-networks-grants.

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[i] Stream 1 – All LGA’s in an agriculture-dependent regional, rural or remote location (except Stream 2 locations). Priority will be given to locations where previous Helping Regional Communities Prepare for Drought Initiative activity has not been undertaken. An indicative funding pool of $1,175,954 is available for Stream 1. Applications up to $20,000 will be accepted.

[ii] Stream 2 – All LGAs from NSW Far West, NT Tablelands, NT Arid Lands, Northern QLD Dry Tropics and WA Great Southern regions only. An indicative funding pool of $1,296,352 is available for Stream 2. Applications up to $50,000 will be accepted.

The townships of Loxton and Waikerie are the main service centres in the Riverland of South Australia, around 200 kms north‐east of Adelaide. In 2021, the Riverland was drought declared, with population, economic and environmental challenges evident.

Little Town Productions saw an opportunity to leverage the annual Loxton Lights Up Festival to bring new people to town to boost the local economy, as well as connect and engage locals, while also building skills, especially among the young people in the region, and having some fun.

The District Council of Loxton and Waikerie received a $55,859 Tackling Tough Times Together (TTTT) grant on behalf of Little Town Productions, enabling them to bring their ideas to fruition.

Coinciding with the 30^th anniversary of the Lights Up Festival, Little Town Productions created and coordinated a spectacular and innovative illuminated production featuring a unique animated projection mapped to the façade of the historic St Peter’s church. The first of its kind in Loxton and the Riverland region, SHINE ran for eight days in the lead up to Christmas and drew thousands of visitors from Adelaide, regional South Australia and interstate.

The management team was very focussed on utilising and developing local talent, with a view to building skills and training that lead to career and employment pathways for young and unemployed people. The project provided the opportunity for these people to work alongside a key partner – world renowned illumination creative artists Illuminart, who advised on creative design, direction and animation services, immersive and interactive concepts. They also mentored young people and others in the community on technical and creative installation, and conducted training workshops to help build skills to seek employment in animation, theatre, leadership, music, digital sound and technology and production management.

The creative team was set up and led by a local 19-year-old and included other local artists, musicians and representatives from Loxton High School. Several year 11 and 12 students, and their teachers, played a key role in creating the animations, projections and filming of the event. Five of the seven artists who created the background illustrations for the animation were from the Riverland, and three of these were from Loxton. With input from the creative team, two 2020 Loxton High School graduates undertook the storybooking of the animation, working closely with and being mentored by Illuminart animators and illustrators. They were both subsequently offered contracts with Illuminart to work on similar projects while at university.

The local input extended to the music, with all the music in the production composed and recorded by Loxton’s Karyn Skewes. Others involved included the Loxton Community Choir and the Lead Principal of Opera SA. Many of Loxton’s service clubs, community groups and residents were involved and contributed in various ways, including an enthusiastic group of older ladies who created a floral display inside the church, one of the key venues. Artworks related to the project, as well as other art produced by members of the local community, were displayed in Peace Hall on all the nights of SHINE, showcasing the amazing talents of the community.

All this work was captured by Six Foot Productions, who worked with and mentored the town’s young people to create a mini-documentary of the project from start to finish, with behind-the scenes footage capturing the passion and enthusiasm of all involved. The file was posted online a week after the event, reaching 30,000 people, with 12,700 views on Facebook, 264 likes and was shared 89 times.

The TTTT grant, which was funded by the Australian Government, contributed to engaging local companies to provide event equipment – audio, filming, lighting, security, event hire, container and marquee hire and contributed towards creative design by Illuminart.

Andrew Waters from DCLW said that there was no doubt that SHINE was an outstanding success, both for the local community and for the people it drew to the town to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Loxton Lights Up. While COVID presented challenges with restrictions, capacity limits and check-ins, it wasn’t a huge factor, given the event was held outside. A plus to come from it was that the organisers were able to obtain a relatively accurate count, with the registration app indicating that more than 6,000 people were present within the church grounds during the eight days of SHINE!

Andrew said, “On the final two nights we reached a near COVID-capacity of 1,000 people at any one given time. Total numbers on these nights would have been greater, as people came and went throughout the night. The project provided new opportunities to showcase the talents of local artists, musicians, actors and dancers and provided greater opportunity for the community to access the arts… a visual and auditory masterpiece.”

Beyond this, the project addressed the economic decline and disadvantage brought about by extended drought conditions across the Riverland Region. It was a celebration of creative and cultural experiences that are the lifeblood of the region, and was a key driver in re-activating the Riverland arts and entertainment industry. The project directly benefitted the region’s businesses that had been economically impacted by drought, injecting an estimated $1.8M into the local economy and creating new jobs in hospitality, retail and the arts.

19 projects funded thanks to the Future Drought Fund

FRRR today announced the final projects funded through the Community Impact Program, which is part of the Helping Regional Communities Prepare for Drought Initiative funded by the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.

In this final tranche of funding, delivered in partnership with ARLF, grants of nearly $1 million have been awarded to support 15 organisations in delivering 19 projects across the Central West region of NSW, the Eyre Peninsula region of SA and the Loddon Campaspe region of VIC. The grants are designed to enhance drought preparedness through strengthening, enabling and building social capital.

FRRR’s Disaster Resilience and Recovery Lead, Nina O’Brien, says that there are a range of projects being funded in each area, which reflect local priorities.

“All these projects have come about thanks to a robust, locally-led co-design process. In Central NSW, for example, we saw more than 20 organisations, including First Nations groups, actively engage in helping to prioritise what would make a difference in their region.

“The Central West of NSW has been impacted by flooding, as well as bushfires on top of the Black Summer bushfires. These events, combined with prolonged drought conditions have left the community fatigued and in continuous recovery.

“This funding, which will be coordinated by Regional Development Australia – Orana, will support projects including strengthening local leadership and networks through a series of events; a seminar for rural women, which will create a safe space for sharing and creating connections; and educational activities. Other projects in this region will include a pilot program to increase access to better mental health support; a series of networking and social support activities targeting young women; and workshops providing culturally sensitive information in different languages targeting the diverse multicultural community living in the region.

“It’s a similar story in South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula, where the program activity will be coordinated by Agricultural Innovation and Research Eyre Peninsula. The co-design process saw 37 participants from the not-for-profit sector, government, small business and general community invited to have input. Four projects have been supported, again with a series of events and activities focusing on different groups, including rural women, young farmers (through peer-to-peer learning) and the broader community, with a focus on building understanding of drought and drought preparedness at a farm, environment and whole of community level.

“In the Loddon / Campaspe region, in Victoria, there is a history of drought, although in late 2022, the region experienced significant flood damage. Several communities remain displaced with the recovery and rebuilding process hampered by a variety of factors, including volunteer fatigue. Despite this, there was strong engagement in the co-design process, including the local traditional owners, the Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation. Coordinated by LEAD Loddon Murray Inc, there are four projects that will be supported in this region, including redevelopment of the Bridgewater Community Hub to build a community garden and sensory garden, backed up by eight community workshops to share knowledge. There will also be an education program – ‘Let’s Talk About the Weather’ – involving local community mapping of the network and focused capacity building support. The Dja Dja Wurrung Clans will lead a project that will employ a local coordinator who will work with Council, Landcare, community organisations and private landholders to heal Country, building understanding of traditional land management practices and ways to restore the land. The final project will focus on building and strengthening networks and building capacity of individual leaders in climate resilience,” Ms O’Brien explained.

In addition to the projects that are being supported, each region will also engage in a leadership development activity. ARLF Chief Executive, Matt Linnegar, says those activities include either a community leadership program, leadership action initiative, group coaching or change-maker workshops.

“The activities will be tailored to each area and we’re already working with the local community partner lead organisation to work out the best timing for the various activities. Leadership development is a critical part of building the social capital required to strengthen drought resilience. It helps to create and build local networks, as well as develop the skills and knowledge to take action and address challenges and make the most of opportunities.”

Participants also gain access to the wider alumni network of the ARLF. “It’s these connections that prove invaluable to people. When they’re stuck, there’s someone to ask for advice,” Mr Linnegar said.

FRRR is currently inviting applications for small grants to support activity in parts of the country where there was no Community Impact Program grant awarded. Full details are available at www.frrr.org.au/small-networks-grants.

Other elements of the Future Drought Fund’s Helping Regional Communities Prepare for Drought Initiative are also underway, including a Mentoring program and an online network connecting community members involved in projects in each of the regions, both led by ARLF. FRRR has also launched a portal providing access to experts to support delivery of their projects, if local expertise isn’t available.

Community Impact Program grantees have commenced delivering project activity, increasing connection across regions and supporting locally identified and driven drought preparedness activities. Some activities delivered so far are young farmer network events, women’s events and local field day type activities in several regions, with strong local participation and attendance. From FRRR’s perspective, it is exciting to see the momentum being created by passionate locals keen to see their regions remain connected, and vibrant as dry times increase across many communities nationally.

Learn more about the Helping Regional Communities Prepare for Drought Initiative at www.frrr.org.au/drought-preparedness.

The full list of grant recipients and their projects are below.

Funding to strengthen community networks and capabilities

FRRR is inviting applications from community organisations in remote, rural and regional communities for projects designed to enhance local drought preparedness.

Supported by the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund through the Helping Regional Communities Prepare for Drought Initiative, the Small Network Grants program can fund simple, one-off or seed-type initiatives to strengthen community networks and capabilities in 35 agriculture-dependent regions.

Nina O’Brien, FRRR’s Disaster Resilience and Recovery Lead, said that there are a wide range of one-off projects that promote community networks, which the program can fund.

“Through this program, we are enabling agriculture-dependent communities to identify and act on their drought preparedness and resilience priorities at a grassroots level in the ways that best suit their communities.

“From previous programs, we know that social networks are critical to drought resilience because they promote a sense of belonging by providing opportunities for a diverse range of community members to connect and participate.

“Events, such as field days or practical workshops, are effective tools for improving mental health and wellbeing, because they give participants the opportunity to connect with their neighbours and learn skills to address the local risk factors associated with a changing climate. So we look forward to seeing the projects that come forward,” Ms O’Brien said.

FRRR wants to hear from groups with projects that fit into one of these five categories:

• Networks: Initiatives to strengthen the capacity, capability, and coordination of professional, social or community networks
• Community Events: Field days, conferences, forums, summits, and seminars that facilitate professional, social and community connection to build understanding of drought and climate change associated risks.
• Training: Initiatives to improve skills and capacity in community risk management, planning and project delivery in relation to drought.
• Community Infrastructure: Small scale community infrastructure projects to improve connectedness, wellbeing, and facilities.
• Development and Learning: Initiatives to facilitate professional, personal and leadership related development and learning to support drought preparation.

There are two streams of funding – one offering up to $20,000 in agriculture dependent LGAs in priority remote, rural and regional locations, and the second stream offering up to $50,000 in eligible LGAs in the NSW Far West, NT Tablelands, NT Arid Lands and WA Great Southern regions, where there is no active Community Impact program. Details of the LGA’s in each stream are on FRRR’s website.

Applications are open now and close 14 November 2023, with successful applicants announced in March 2024. There will be a second round of the program, which is expected to open in February 2024, with funds announced in June 2024.

For more information, and to apply, visit the program page.