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.

Applications now open for Future Drought Fund’s Networks to Build Drought Resilience program

Community organisations and networks can access a share of $4.5 million under the Networks to Build Drought Resilience program, with grants on offer to drive action on drought resilience. The program will be delivered by the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR).

Through the Networks to Build Resilience program, the Australian Government’s investment of $3.375m, together with a $1.125m contribution from FRRR, will enable $4.5 million to be available for on-ground community capacity building projects, across two funding rounds. 

The Networks to Build Drought Resilience program will support the community organisations, networks and infrastructure that help people and communities prepare for, and live through, times of drought. The program will fund events, activities, training and small-scale infrastructure that assist communities to build their capacity.

FRRR CEO Natalie Egleton said local community networks are the foundation of resilient communities.

“Through this program we’re helping to invest in the future of agriculture-dependent regions by enabling them to prepare now for periods of ongoing dryness,” Ms Egleton said.

“A key element of this program will be to build stronger networks, and to encourage greater sharing of learnings and more collaboration within and across networks.”

Applications are now open and close at 5pm AEST, 5 July 2021. Grant recipients will be announced October 2021. For more information or to apply visit FRRR’s website – www.frrr.org.au/networks.

Read the full announcement from The Hon David Littleproud, Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management here – https://minister.awe.gov.au/littleproud/media-releases/fdf-networks-build-drought-resilience.

For more information on the Future Drought Fund, visit agriculture.gov.au/fdf.