Upper North Farming Systems’ (UNSF’s) mission is to facilitate capacity building and empowerment of the agricultural community across the upper north region of South Australia. The group focuses on adapting and connecting farmers so they can learn from each other and from their shared experiences, and not farm in isolation. They do this by bringing farmers together in what they call Hubs. It’s a large and diverse geographical area, encompassing Booleroo Centre, Crystal Brook, Hallet, Jamestown, Laura, Peterborough, Nelshaby, Orroroo, Quorn and Wilmington. It’s a harsh climate, and when times are tough, they are very tough. The region has experienced significant declines in population and services over the past 30 years and the social fabric of communities in many areas has become frayed.

With the majority of communities in the region still reliant on agriculture, the social toll of the latest drought – the longest dry on record in 2020/21 – was evident, with symptoms of volunteer burn-out, self-isolation and mental health related issues.

Farmers know technology is essential, and farming systems have evolved significantly since the previous major drought, with stubble retention, improved efficiency of water use and a better understanding of livestock nutrition.

These communities are adaptable, open to innovation and aided through programs that promote not only professional connection, but also social and community connections, especially as these areas are typically not well-serviced by government research bodies and private consultants.

There are currently 11 Hubs under UNFS – eight geographical Hubs: Booleroo / Appila, Morchard / Orroroo / Pekina / Black Rock, Melrose, Gladstone / Laura, Jamestown, Nelshaby, Quorn and Wilmington and three non-geographic Hubs: Ladies on the Land, New Farmers and the Ag Tech Hub. The establishment of the Hubs in 2019 recognised the need to retain networks within the group and foster the tackling of issues on a smaller scale, as well as the importance of coming together on a social level.

A $20,000 Networks to Build Drought Resilience grant enabled UNFS to deliver the ‘Tools, Tech and Transformation’ workshop for farmers and agribusinesses. The key event was followed by a series of nine Hub events to provide the opportunity for networking, info-sharing, and learning about new farming systems and techniques to improve drought resilience. A ‘farmer-to-farmer’ learning model was recognised as a valuable and efficient mechanism to improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of the agricultural industry in low rainfall zones.

The project reached 205 participants across 10 events that spanned six sector networks (Farm Business, Research Institute, NFP’s / Community Organisations, Consultants, Off Farm Business, Government Agency). Targeting farmers and agri-business directly, attendees learnt about tools aimed at improving efficiencies, sustainability and outcomes of operations like automatic feeding, as well as technology evolutions and business systems like satellite imagery on the farm scale, and succession and transition planning. Importantly, the solutions offered were all commercially available to be adopted on-farm, and farmers were able to speak directly with professionals in the fields, with discussions encouraged. They left with upto-date knowledge to help them build more resilient farming systems.

The Hub events ensured accessibility for farmers who couldn’t afford too much time away from their land. They were able to talk with neighbours and researchers about the outcomes of the 2021 season and what they might be able to do better next time. Questions like when and how to de-stock, how to ensure you’re looking after genetics and bloodlines, and considerations around agisting, planting times, and upgrading tech vs repairing machinery were raised. Each Hub session included a training session in a tool, tech or system (identified from the key event by their elected Hub Representative), as well as a planning session identifying how to implement the new skills and knowledge on-farm, and where they require additional support.

Through the project, participants built knowledge and understanding of the risks posed by drought and climate change and learnt new concepts on a range of topics that can be adapted for drought and climate preparedness.

Communities had the opportunity to connect, train, converse (something many would not normally do in their usual day-to-day business) and lean on systems and each other so they are more prepared for future challenges

By Nina O’Brien, Disaster Resilience and Recovery Lead

The call to action at this year’s Australian Disaster Resilience Conference is deeply apparent and has been reflected in most of the presentations, including my own – we must expand our understanding, balance investment, and elevate the voice of community, particularly First Nations people, to reduce the risks and impacts of a changing climate, and build collective resilience towards the increasing severity and frequency of disasters.

At FRRR, we are addressing this call to action by working deeply with local groups that are on the ground, working to enhance the preparedness and resilience of their remote, rural and regional communities. Programs like Disaster Resilient: Future Ready, as well as the thousands of grassroots, community-based projects we support through small grants like SRC Prepare and Recover , and others such as Rebuilding Futures, allow us to learn from local leaders about the needs and priorities of their communities, and how we can best support them to build local resilience and disaster recovery.

My presentation spoke of the importance of balanced investment in people and processes, not just products and ‘things’ across the entire disaster cycle, with a specific focus on preparedness. Social, cultural, political, and human capital are equally as vital as built, financial and natural capital in bolstering resilience. This approach takes a holistic view that acknowledges the interconnectedness of all these facets of community life.

This is why I advocate that we must shift our focus from (often) the disproportionate investing in products and things (hard infrastructure, as we often refer to it) to prioritising people and processes (or the soft infrastructure).

Ultimately, it is the people and processes that really make communities tick and make a difference in effective disaster response, recovery, and preparedness.

This is reinforced by the findings of ongoing research that FRRR has commissioned alongside our learning partner, University of Sydney.

“Working in a community led way to build local resilience means that local community members act as equal decision makers with a range of other stakeholders (local government, emergency services, service providers, business) to address issues which are priorities for that community. Rather than a top-down approach, where decisions are made outside a community or are made by government or other formal authorities, community led resilience building starts and continues with listening and collaborating on the priorities of community members. Genuine ownership by the local community requires their active involvement in all aspects of resilience building, not merely consultation.”

_{Howard, A., Rawsthorne, M. and Joseph, P. (2022) Critical Dimensions in Community Disaster Resilience [FactSheet], University of Sydney for the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal}

The formal study has reinforced our anecdotal observations that when communities take the lead in driving resilience-building efforts, remarkable things happen. Whether tackling natural disasters like cyclones, bushfires, floods, or adapting to community shocks such as the loss of major services or industries, community-led initiatives tend to persist longer and have ongoing positive impacts. They foster local strengths that can adapt to a wide range of challenges over time.

This work provides an important formal evidence base for supporting grassroots not-for-profit organisations that are critical to nurturing the vitality of regional communities.

It also validates FRRR’s preferred approach of working alongside communities, mapping their assets and systems of interconnectivity, understanding their particular strengths and nuances, and viewing community life through resilience dimensions that help to identify and craft locally driven resilience initiatives.

Through diverse funding mechanisms that prioritise people and processes, we’ve seen tangible dividends in increased resilience. These include support for locally conceived projects and initiatives; building volunteer capacity and strengthening networks; resilience coaching, mentoring and support; strengthening internal organisational capacity; and fostering long-term project delivery capability through sustainable local partnerships.

And as a side note from ADRC23; the feedback from communities is clear. They want flexible funding criteria, longer timelines, negotiated measures of success, simpler forms and reporting – and patience from funders. As a mechanism to deliver support to approximately 1000 small projects per year; with around half of those related to disaster impacts; FRRR is working hard to meet these requests with flexible guidelines, negotiated timelines where possible, agile timing, and a streamlined approach to applying and reporting.

Without deliberate, balanced investment in social, cultural, political and human capital, alongside traditional capital, the impacts and harm from disasters will continue to escalate in our communities. We need a systems-based lens that prioritises people and processes to meet future community needs and challenges effectively.

The long-term benefits of this shift are significant; capable local individuals, agile community-based networks, strong not-for-profit organisations and ultimately resilient remote, rural and regional communities become the norm. This paves the way for a future where communities can thrive, adapt and face the uncertainties of a changing climate, with resilience and hope.

The far northern tip of Queensland – Gulf country – extends from wide plains through to tropical rainforest, but mostly comprises dry tropical savannah country. It s a very isolated region, yet is a productive beef grazing area, with some areas of horticulture. About 10,000 people live in 234,000 square kilometres – an area the equivalent size of Victoria. About 25% of people in the Gulf region identify as Indigenous.

Gulf Savannah Natural Resource Management (GSNRM) connects science, technology and landcare to improve productivity for farmers and graziers. Drought is a common challenge, with frequent extended dry seasons recorded over the last 30 years. GSNRM saw an opportunity to bring together producers for a series of forums across the region to strengthen networks and generally build the community’s capacity to better respond to the impacts of drought. They were supported by a Future Drought Fund Networks to Build Drought Resilience grant of $49,700.

To make the most of the time, organisers planned a farm visit during the Farming Forum, followed by information sessions and a lunch. With most graziers travelling long distances, their session was over two days, providing an opportunity for participants to not only gain new knowledge and skills but also reinforce and strengthen connections between these very isolated residents at social events. The face-to-face events provided a mix of guest speakers to impart knowledge and practical implementation skills or planning sessions to start putting the ideas into action. This included building
understanding of the risks posed by drought by exposing participants to discussions about the future of the region in the face of adverse climatic conditions and then discussing potential solutions. This approach empowered community members to make business resilience changes and fostered partnerships and collaboration between growers, graziers, agronomists, extension officers, industry, drought hub and government.

The organisers also recognised that, by far, the greatest risk posed by drought and the unpredictable nature of climate change is deteriorating mental health. The Unbreakable Success Matrix program, which involved online learning supported by live group discussions and mentoring, gave people the tools to mentally cope with those elements of their lives that cannot be controlled. This structure enabled geographically diverse individuals to come together over several weeks and develop an understanding of how others are coping or not coping, and receive the benefits of listening to the coaching and ideas from the facilitators.

Regular touch points enabled people to get to know each other better and therefore, as the program progressed, saw more vulnerable sharing and thus greater problem solving within the group. Assessment showed the ‘fear factor’ had significantly reduced for all respondents.

These events had the support of the Gulf Cattlemen’s Association and the FNQ Growers Association and were promoted widely through a range of different databases. This ensured a diverse cross-section of the community participated, beyond those that GSNRM normally engages with.

In total, 106 people participated in the three events, ranging from 15 to 74 years, although around 80% were aged 45-64. Around 15% were 15-24. Participants were often intergenerational and reflected a mix of new and established residents and was reflective of the general community.

The opportunity to contemplate drought and climate change in a supportive atmosphere and consider how prepared they are, or not, saw 42% of respondents say that the forums had ‘definitely prompted‘ them to change something in their business, while another 25% said they were ‘somewhat prompted’. Almost 100% of all respondents said that each speaker session was either ‘very valuable‘ or ’valuable’. For the GSNRM group itself, their network has increased dramatically and it has also seen significant increases in the interconnections between virtually all aspects of the
industry, especially across sectors.

By Nina O’Brien, Disaster Resilience and Recovery Lead

If agriculture-dependent communities are to be sustainable in the long-term, we must also ensure local people are ready to withstand the pressures that come with extended dry periods. At the core, this requires strong social connections and community networks.

Often when drought preparedness is discussed, the narrative centres around caring for the land and the kinds of infrastructure that needs to be in place in areas to mitigate risks related to extended periods of drought or unseasonably dry conditions. While these are crucial factors to consider when preparing for drought, investing in initiatives that bring local people and strengthen these networks is vital for disaster preparedness and the long-term vitality of remote, rural and regional Australia.

In 2021, the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR) was awarded $3.75 million to deliver the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund Networks to Build Drought Resilience program. The aim of the program was to build community capacity by strengthening social and community networking, support, engagement and wellbeing. With additional funding from several donor partners, a total of $4,199,157 in grants was awarded. In total, the 87 community groups that completed their projects undertook 791 activities and reached 37,841 participants.

The final reports from grant recipients clearly demonstrate the positive impact that this dedicated focus on providing agriculture-dependent communities with opportunities and resources to strengthen social and community networking, engagement and wellbeing has had. Through the funded projects, communities report increased resilience and preparedness for the impacts of climate change, including drought. They have also seen a significant increase in community members’ knowledge and understanding of drought, increased skill development, and an increased understanding of technology and how it can support drought preparedness. This investment in the Networks to Build Drought Resilience program provided opportunities for communities to come together and put the conversation about ‘managing and mitigating future droughts’ squarely on the table. There is also now strong evidence showing the practical benefits of investing in local people and facilitating environments where they can learn to adapt to a drying, and unpredictable climatic future.

Social networks promote a sense of belonging

The final reports make evident the program’s effectiveness in increasing social capital in these communities and providing both formal and informal avenues for community organisations and grassroots groups to expand social networks.

As a result of these efforts by community groups in providing opportunities for people to connect, there was increased diversity in participation in community networking events and conferences, which has, vitally, led to locals feeling a greater sense of belonging.

Preparedness includes proactive mental health support

A particularly strong theme that emerged, was recognition of the importance of proactive mental health and wellbeing strategies, both for both individuals and communities as a whole.

One group, Active Farmers, located in the Riverina region of NSW, reflected on the long-term positive impact that their project, 100 Mental Health Champions, will have, writing: “Upskilling people across our network in mental health first aid will only have a positive flow on effect into the future – no matter what our communities are faced with. Becoming skilled in mental health first aid will help us on our mission of building more resilient and stronger rural communities.”

One size doesn’t fit all

The program saw a hugely diverse range of applicants, projects and participants. This highlighted the variety of ways in which drought-impacted communities are capable of, and can, benefit from strengthening their networks. One grant recipient, Outback Academy Australia, used their grant to run four in-person events and a national online event that saw community members connect with Aboriginal farming communities to learn local Aboriginal methods and techniques best used in a changing climate. Not only did participants increase their technical knowledge, but they were also able to build a shared sense of community and purpose.

The group reflected on the experience, saying: “Workshops addressed the perception that agriculture is separate from cultural and natural resource management, and that First Nations people are not engaged in farming or have an interest in agriculture to the same level as cultural heritage, and cultural and natural resource management. Another achievement was the respectful exchange between Western scientific-based knowledge and systems and Aboriginal knowledge, also referred to as traditional ecological knowledge, to improve farming systems and address the impacts of drought, extreme weather events and climate change.”

This the Networks to Build Drought Resilience program also proved that strong networks don’t always have to built in the traditional way. Mallee Sustainable Farming in Mildura VIC, was awarded a grant to build an online learning community that helps educate farmers on how to protect, manage and repair soils before, during and after drought. Their program is built around a schedule that provides information to farmers at the time of year when it’s most relevant.

They said, “The approach has been so successful that Mallee Sustainable Farming will continue to manage the group and use it as a way of both disseminating information and understanding audience needs concerning soil management for the foreseeable future.”

Success in the face of future drought

The success of the Networks to Build Drought Resilience program demonstrates the value in funding diverse approaches that allow communities to come together and put the conversation about ‘managing and mitigating future droughts’ squarely on the table.

The program also provides strong evidence showing the practical benefits of investing in local people and facilitating environments to strengthen community capacity to both increase drought preparedness efforts, and to support one another through future droughts and an ever-changing climate.

Read more about the impact of the Networks to Build Drought Resilience program in the Program Implementation and Learnings Report.

The Networks to Build Drought Resilience program was a precursor for the Future Drought Fund’s Helping Regional Communities Prepare for Drought Initiative. FRRR is proud to be delivering this Initiative, alongside Australian Rural Leadership Foundation (ARLF), through a community-driven, multi-pronged approach. Through this initiative, with the Australian Government’s support, we’re continuing to invest in the future, enabling agriculture-dependent communities to identify and act on their drought preparedness priorities at a grassroots level.

Earlier this year, the FRRR team heard directly from Kempsey Shire Council, who had recently received a $56,960 grant for the Macleay Valley River to the Sea Festival through the Future Drought Fund’s Networks to Build Drought Resilience program, co-funded by the Australian Government and a private donor.

The festival was a creative way to increase opportunities for diverse people and communities to participate in networking events. A series of farm gate tours was also a great way to improve regional branding and recognition of local food agri-systems. The festival built knowledge and understanding of the risks posed by drought and climate change through workshops for primary producers and broadly contributed to building a positive community culture and strengthened connections.

The Kempsey Shire Council presentation also highlighted the broader impact of floods. Having experienced 19 climate disasters in a decade, Kempsey was labelled ‘the most disaster-prone region in Australia’ by The Australian in 2019. Since then, there have been four flooding events, with three of them taking place in 2022 alone.

The Council team shared that an increasing number of farms were at risk of closure due to recent flooding events with around 45% of cattle in the lower Macleay leaving the shire due to continued wet and a 25%-35% loss of avocado trees. On top of that, there were large scale loss of oysters, flower production was impacted and mud fever, foot abscesses, slips and trips all became more common in horses.

The presentation gave a raw and up-to-date glimpse into the challenges being faced by those in the agricultural sector. It also highlighted that to be sustainable both economically and environmentally, change is needed. For agriculture to thrive, communities and agribusiness must be given the tools and resources they need to adapt.

The Macleay Valley River to the Sea Festival was a great example of this kind of opportunity in action, allowing farmers to share their stories and raise awareness around the positive on-farm diversification being achieved in environments impacted by climate change.

The Loxton region of South Australia is the central hub of the grain producing area of the Northern Murray Mallee but also produces a range of other crops including citrus, wine grapes and almonds, as well as livestock. However, this productive region experienced three years of drought between 2017-2019 and, at the time this project was put forward, was in its fourth year of drought, with more than 2,000 farming business affected.

Farmers and regional communities more broadly, face numerous barriers to accessing traditional forms of mental health support, due to reduced access to health professionals in rural areas, long waiting lists, stoicism, stigma around mental health and a tendency to minimise problems. There is often distrust of many health professionals and hesitancy in engaging with mental health services, who farmers perceive as not understanding their way of life.

Given these issues, and the significant impact that long-running dry had on the whole community, wellbeing had been a significant focus in the Loxton community. For example a sell-out musical, ‘Kick Off Ya Boots’, written by local farmer John Gladigau, and performed by locals, had successfully started conversations about mental health and wellbeing. The success of ‘Kick Off Ya Boots’ prompted Dr Kate Gunn, Clinical Psychologist, Founder of ifarmwell.com.au and Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Rural Health at the University of South Australia (UniSA), to continue working with locals, including the ‘Kick Ooff Ya Boots’ team, to implement what became known as the Vocal Locals project. In addition to providing a way for the community to better support one another, it was also an opportunity to further research the uptake of health and mental-health promoting behaviours within communities, especially as droughts are expected to increase in their frequency and intensity in coming years.

Supported by a $148,250 grant through the Future Drought Fund’s Networks to Build Drought Resilience program, this project was co-designed locally to enhance drought resilience by strengthening the capacity of professional, social and community networks in Loxton. The aim was to support mental health in local networks by training local ambassadors (i.e. the Vocal Locals) at events and via the freely available ifarmwell modules, and then supporting them to pursue their own wellbeing goals with a local wellbeing coach, and post about what they were doing for their wellbeing on social media.

In addition to drawing on many years of research in this field, conducted by Dr Gunn and her team, the approach built on the local success of a musical written by Loxton farmer John Gladigau, who agreed to act as the Program Coordinator. His musical ‘Kick Off Ya Boots’ celebrated rural life, explored challenges commonly faced by farming families (e.g. succession planning) and with guidance from Dr Gunn, incorporated wellbeing messages and tips to cope with difficult circumstances. The logic was that it would be powerful if individuals from the region saw similar wellbeing messages being reinforced by multiple local people they know.

There were five parts to the Vocal Locals project:

1. Training: Ten ‘Vocal Locals’ and 17 other community members participated in a half-day mental health knowledge and skills workshop. A further half-day session for the Vocal Locals helped orientate them to how the Vocal Locals campaign would work, including how to brush up on their social media skills. The Vocal Locals also completed the five, freely available online ifarmwell modules, a tool for reducing distress and improving mental wellbeing among farmers, and encouraged others to do the same.
2. Wellbeing coaching: Vocal Locals each completed eight wellbeing coaching sessions designed to help them pursue their own wellbeing goals, and post about them on social media.
3. Social media posting: The local volunteers posted roughly once a week on social media about their wellbeing journey, and there was a public Facebook group created which attracted 870 followers, with 6,800 people reacting to, commenting on, or sharing the posts.
4. Communications campaign: A broad communications campaign included a flyer drop to 2,500 households in Loxton, a two-page spread in the Riverland Football League match day program, interviews on local community radio, articles in The Murray Pioneer and the Stock Journal. The ifarmwell team also supplemented Vocal Locals’ posts on the public Vocal Locals Facebook page, with posts communicating six key wellbeing messages in different ways.
5. Campaign dinners: Vocal Locals attended three dinners with the project team, with the last also involving family members and support people, and representatives from local organisations and government.

In an article written by ABC Digital, John Gladigau said it had been great to continue the conversations sparked by his musical.

“While these are not taboo subjects, we don’t talk a lot about mental health and wellbeing,” he said. “However, people are willing to [share] if they have the opportunity to.”

Mr Gladigau said he and Dr Gunn had been impressed with how open the participants had been in talking about their struggles.

“Even some of the really tough times… people have related to that and have jumped on and talked about their own experiences and encouraged each other. I think it’s about normalising those conversations,” he said.

Dr Gunn explained that the campaign was designed to operate at two levels.

“At an individual level, the initiative provided the Vocal Locals with the opportunity to learn more about mental health and wellbeing, and strategies that can help improve it, and to work towards their own wellbeing goals. At a community level, the initiative was designed to share practical, evidence-based strategies to help community members improve their wellbeing, increase their understanding of how to achieve positive mental health and wellbeing, and normalise talking about mental health and wellbeing and supporting others to improve their wellbeing.

“We have also been blown away by the creative ways that Vocal Locals used their role to get messages about mental health out into the community. They shared information about the initiative in their workplaces, sporting groups, farming systems groups, and agricultural bureaus for example. One Vocal Local who is also an egg producer, printed short messages on his eggs to raise mental health awareness – for example, one message was “give it a crack”. Another Vocal Local who included a photo of his ram wearing a Vocal Locals hat on the front cover of his ram sale catalogue spoke about the campaign to an audience of 80-100 local farmers just prior to the ram auction. The initiative has had such a profound impact on another Vocal Local that he pitched a radio segment to local community radio, to bring people together to share stories and talk about the ups and downs of being human. We are really proud of the impact that it had.”

Dr Chloe Fletcher, Research Associate, UniSA added that, “Our evaluation of the impact of the project in the Loxton community showed that there were statistically significant increases in the number of conversations people were having with others about mental health and wellbeing, their comfort in speaking to others about mental health, and their engagement in wellbeing activities.”

WATCH THIS VIDEO to see what the group said about the experience.

For more inspiring stories like this, head to our FY 2021/22 Annual Review.

FRRR has awarded $3,084,346 to 60 local not-for-profit organisations (NFPs) in remote, rural and regional Australia for grassroots initiatives that will build their community’s resilience to drought.

Funded by the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund and a range of other donor partners, the Networks to Build Drought Resilience program focuses on agriculture-dependent communities. It’s designed to give local NFPs access to the funds and resources they need to prepare and strengthen their community’s response to future drought and climate change.

This second round of grants, which range from $10,120 to $150,000, sees several First Nations organisations receiving grants. The successful groups include Outback Academy Australia Ltd, which has received a grant of $146,966 to strengthen drought resilience through collaborative Aboriginal networks across several states.

There is also more funding to help women in rural communities come together, with support for projects like the Rural Women’s Gathering 2022 in South Australia. Their $27,000 grant will help to build drought resilience by facilitating professional, social and community connections among women.

Natalie Egleton, CEO of FRRR, said that this diversity in applications is what allows these programs to make a meaningful difference in local communities.

“We’ve seen community-led projects that address the needs of First Nations people, women and young people. It’s this kind of tailored approach, responding to the unique challenges of each place, that will enable these communities to build long-lasting networks to build their enduring ability to manage the future impacts of drought.”

Ms Egleton also said that despite facing many challenges, these local organisations are committed to building a better future for their communities in the long run.

“Local leaders are so impressive. Many groups were still dealing with the impacts of COVID lockdowns and restrictions, not to mention extreme weather events. These circumstances have left volunteers feeling very fatigued (as we confirmed in our Heartbeat of Rural Australia study last year), and yet these rounds saw proposals for great ideas and innovative projects put forward“.

“We’re proud to partner with the Australian Government on this program, and grateful for the additional funding we have received from our many other donors. These partnerships are vital when it comes to equipping grassroots organisations with the resources, they need to ensure their regions can thrive into the future,” said Ms Egleton.

Some more of the 60 initiatives, which are spread across every state and territory, include:

• Tharwa Community Association Inc – Tharwa, ACT – Tharwa Community Hall Critical Repair and Remediation –  $20,000 – This project will support crucial repairs for the Tharwa meeting hall. The hall is a central meeting place for local farming families and fosters connectedness and the community’s capacity to respond to future drought events.
• Tamworth Regional Landcare Association – Wallabadah, NSW – Regenerative Practices on the Liverpool Plains: Learning & Working Together to Build Drought Resilience – $22,600 – This project will build drought resilience through two education events and a farm tour day to build understandings of risks posed by drought and climate change in agriculture-dependent communities of the Tamworth region. The project will encourage participants to shift from ‘season to season’ thinking to developing a long-term vision and plan which considers the impact of climate variability on their farming business.
• Young Livestock Exporters Network – Darwin & Katherine, NT and Townsvillle, Qld – YLEN Leadership Program: Future-Proofing the Livestock Industry – $45,867 – This project will support educational opportunities through two training events, a leadership program and stockperson course, designed to bring rural youth together to discuss the impacts of difficult times, including drought. These events will enable the youth participants to discuss with industry experts, topics to understand the risks posed by drought, how to plan for and manage the risks, and stress, self-care and communication during difficult times, giving the participants tools that they can share with their communities, and draw on during difficult times, including times of drought.
• Burnett Catchment Care Association – Monto, QLD – Connecting Monto producers to build resilience – $19,000 – This project will support hosting of three workshops on strategies to prepare for drought, sustainability practices and soil health during drought. Focussing on discussion about new information presented and sharing of ideas and experiences, the workshops will build locally relevant knowledge required to support the rural community’s response to the impacts of drought.
• Tumby Bay Progress Association – Tumby Bay, SA – Improving Farmer Skills in Effective Communication and Digital Literacy, Lower Eyre Peninsula – $45,000 – This project will build drought resilience through enabling 50 locals to participate in a 16-week communication and literacy training program, focussed at building participants’ capacity to network with their communities, thus building participants’ readiness to face the impacts during times of drought. The project will support ongoing community engagement through an online networking tool for the community to continue sharing ideas and experiences to continue building connectedness and a shared sense of purpose.
• Big Hart – Wynyard, TAS – The Watershed Project – $140,000 – This project will support community engagement events including three community dinners, a networking breakfast, two film screenings and two workshops across the North West coast of Tasmania to discuss topics such as water and eco anxiety, water and well-being, and water and local production. The events will be targeted across the local community to involve producers, local clubs, youth and businesses for the communities will work collaboratively to solve problems on environmental and agribusiness topics that are central to drought resilience at the local level.
• Partners in Ag Incorporated – Rupanyup, VIC – Wimmera Rural Table Gathering – $28,608 – This project will support a full day event to bring rural women together to discuss the impacts of drought and a changing climate for the region. Including a panel discussion of industry experts, participants will be involved in discussions and learnings to understand the challenges faced by communities in times of drought and how community members can develop skills and strategies to deal with difficult times, including during times of drought.
• Lower Blackwood Land Conservation District Committee – Karridale, WA – Lower Blackwood Online Community Forum & Information Hub – $49,850 – This project will build the community’s capacity to understand & implement sustainable agriculture objectives and drought resilience through an online Community Forum & Information Hub, which will provide an interactive platform to access information and resources with locally relevant information.

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

By Nina O’Brien, Disaster Resilience and Recovery Lead

In recent weeks, with funding being awarded through various FRRR programs, we have started to see concepts lift from the page and move into activated ideas. It also comes at a time when intersecting international conversations of climate urgency relating to COP 26 and the IPCC Report feature heavily in our daily media news feeds. So, it is timely to pause, and reflect on the tapestry of drought preparedness and resilience-building activity being undertaken across Australia, and to share some observations.

While the future climate challenges are as diverse as the landscapes where they are located; the people and communities of remote, rural and regional Australia are actively engaging in local solutions, decision-making and networking as a means of gaining and sharing the skills and knowledge needed to prepare their community and region for an increasingly drying climate, and sometimes challenge long-held attitudes.

On the national stage, the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Senate Committee recently published its finding into its enquiry on the Federal Government’s response to the drought, and the adequacy and appropriateness of policies and measures to support farmers, regional communities and the Australian economy. In addition, the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund initiatives are starting to take flight across multiple streams of investment that aim to build an economic, environmental, and socially resilient nation capable of enduring the impact of climate change. At FRRR, part of our challenge is synthesising the international, national, and state contexts with a hyper-local application of understanding and ideas to bring value to local people and places, as we work alongside them to imagine a vibrant future.

It’s our belief that remote, rural, and regional communities have the knowledge to best respond to the impacts of drought, climate change and other natural disasters. So, it has been incredibly heartening to see the diversity of response from communities in building their local networks, capacity, skills, and knowledge to respond to future drought and disaster events.

The first-round of recipients of the Australian Government Future Drought Fund’s Networks to Build Drought Resilience program have elicited a range of interesting patterns across the continent. Among them, and reflective of the increasing part that women are playing in key decision-making roles in rural and regional communities, concepts to build drought resilience locally-devised by women have emerged as a strong theme across multiple states.

A case in point. Although the mean rainfall has been relatively stable across the Eyre Peninsula in the last 30 years, the average days over 38 degrees have increased, and rainfall has decreased in autumn and in the late winter and early spring months, compared to the preceding 30 year period. Against this backdrop, Women Together Learning (WoTL), from Rudall in South Australia, are actively working to building their ambassador network to support women in agriculture through five workshops focusing on future drought, climate projections and the impact on agricultural practices and rural communities. The project involves building the capacity of the WoTL Ambassadors to participate in planning, professional development, and networking.

The project will bring women together, who ordinarily may connect, to form an ongoing future network to build skills, knowledge, and personal connections to be better informed about challenges that the changing climatic patterns presents. With a mean total of 300mm rain per year, planning ahead, and collective problem solving through strong networks will be critical to the region’s success.

On the other side of the country, in a completely different agricultural landscape and climate impact context, is the Northern Rivers Community Gateway Inc who are leading the Women on The Land – Get Ready Empower Yourself Preparedness Workshop Series in Casino, in New South Wales.

This project will deliver five workshops to improve the confidence and reduce social isolation of rural and regional women, while also providing planning and coping tools for the participants to share with their broader networks. Focusing on decision making, preparedness and land management, the workshops will provide a forum to build positive mental health of rural and regional women, while also providing access to service providers and the opportunity to build networks for ongoing cohesion and support.

In another example, the Liebe Group, an active grass-roots grower group from the Dalwallinu region of Western Australia, is also playing an active role in supporting women in drought resilience through their Women In Ag Networking and Diversification (WAND) Program: Strengthening Social Connection and Farm Business Resilience. Importantly, this project will host onsite field visits and an agricultural show day to provide participants with future planning knowledge for below-average seasons and increased business acumen to adapt to the negative effects of drought. Through the project, the local women in agriculture involved in the projects will build capacity and resilience, as well as regional networks to respond to the impacts of drought, both socially and on their farm businesses.

The strength of these projects lies in the hyper-local but interconnected structure of these projects, as affirmed by the recent research commissioned by FRRR that indicates:

‘Resilience is not something that individuals or communities can achieve on their own. It is achieved through the combined and intersecting structures, processes, formal and informal networks and supports in communities working together. What we see as individual or community resilience is part of and supported by a collective effort by agencies, organisations, community groups, business and community members.’

We look forward to continuing to support groups like these, as they identify the most appropriate responses to these ongoing challenges, and equally take advantage of the opportunities that will no doubt emerge, as they strive for a vibrant and sustainable communities.

FRRR has awarded $1,413,319 to 33 remote, rural and regional communities across Australia for locally-led initiatives that will help build their region’s resilience to drought.

Funded by the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund and a range of other donor partners, the Networks to Build Drought Resilience program focuses on strengthening social connectedness, building social capital and funding transformative local initiatives that will enable agricultural communities to be more prepared for the impacts of drought.

The grants, which range from $10,000 to $139,000, were awarded to local groups to support community projects such as events that will bring people together, training that will increase knowledge and skills, and infrastructure that will facilitate and enable networking.

Natalie Egleton, CEO of FRRR, said that when it comes to building drought resilience, resourcing initiatives that enhance social connectedness and networks is more crucial than ever.

“Rural communities are typically pretty self-reliant, and depend on being able to come together and work as a community to prepare for and respond to most challenges. That includes building resilience to respond to the changing climate, and this round we saw some great projects and initiatives that will strengthen resilience and respond to local needs.

“With many of these rural communities impacted by COVID-19, plus drought, fires, and for many the mouse plague, local fundraising has been even more difficult than usual. So it’s wonderful to be able to offer the support these places need to strengthen community connectedness and build their networks.

“We’re grateful to be partnering with the Australian Government, and to have the support of our other donor partners, because it allows us to back these grassroots organisations who are making significant strides when it comes to preparing their communities for future drought,” said Ms Egleton.

Some of the 33 initiatives funded include:

• Women Together Learning (WoTL Ltd) – Rudall, Cowell, Karoona, Pinnaroo, SA – Building the WoTL Ambassador Network to Support Women in Ag – $29,625 – Building the WoTL Ambassador Network to support women in agriculture through a series of workshops.
• Bundaberg Fruit & Vegetable Growers – Bundaberg, Gayndah, QLD – Connecting Producers with an Invisible Support Network – $16,200 – Build capacity among growers for training in mental health and wellbeing and to access local support services through a series of BBQ workshops.
• Gippsland Agricultural Group, Bairnsdale, VIC – Gippsland Connect and Prepare Field Days – $50,000 – Increase community connection and networking activities through the delivery of field day events and installing an accessible ablution block.
• FarmLink Research Ltd, Temora, NSW – Improving Young Farmer Mental Resilience in Times of Drought – $10,000 – Expand capacity for resilience through an interactive seminar.
• The Liebe Group Inc – Dalwallinu, Mingenew, Dandaragan, WA – Women in Ag Networking and Diversification (WAND) Program: Strengthening Social Connection and Farm Business Resilience in the Regional Agricultural Community – $13,100 – Foster increased business acumen in drought resilience through the delivery of workshops.

MEANWHILE, Applications are currently open for Round 2 of the Future Drought Fund’s Networks to Build Drought Resilience program. To be considered, they must be received by 15 November, with funds announced late February. Projects must be completed by 29 August 2022. Learn more at www.frrr.org.au/FDF

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

$2.9M in grants available for remote, rural and regional communities

FRRR is inviting applications for the second round of the Future Drought Fund’s Networks to Build Drought Resilience program. These grants are specifically intended to ensure community-led initiatives and rural not-for-profits (NFPs) in agriculture-dependent communities have the support they need to build resilience against future droughts.

Funded by the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund and a range of other donor partners, the program focuses on strengthening social connectedness, building social capital and funding transformative local initiatives that will enable agricultural communities to be more prepared for the impacts of drought.

Grants can support a wide range of initiatives including events, projects, activities, training and small-scale infrastructure that will strengthen community engagement, networking and preparedness for drought. In this second round, FRRR is particularly keen to hear from groups seeking between $20,000 and $50,000, although there are other tiers of funding available.

Natalie Egleton, CEO of FRRR, said that the Future Drought Fund’s Networks to Build Drought Resilience program focuses on supporting locally-led drought initiatives that build and strengthen connections in agricultural communities that are vulnerable to drought.

“Each community faces its own unique set of stressors and challenges, and is starting from a different place when it comes to building drought resilience. That’s why this program funds projects that local communities have identified will help their community better prepare for the future impacts of climate change.

“In some places, that’s initiatives like strengthening young-farmer or women in agriculture networks, and for others it might be about building knowledge of soils or better understanding the latest tools and technologies around climate and seasonable variability. Yet in other places, the emphasis might need to be on wellbeing and building mental resilience.

“We’re particularly keen to see proactive initiatives that bring communities together, to create and strengthen social networks to engage in meaningful collaboration. This is a critical part of making sure remote, rural and regional communities can thrive in the future,” Ms. Egleton said.

For more information about the Future Drought Fund’s Networks to Build Resilience program, visit www.frrr.org.au/networks.

There will be a free grantseeker workshop on 5 October at 11am and 7pm AEDT, for those who would like to learn more about the program and the application process. Register here: https://events.humanitix.com/networks-to-build-drought-resilience.

Applications close 15 November, with funds announced late February. Activities must be completed by 29 August 2022.