$20m hub to help SW communities prepare for and fight drought

Farmers, agricultural businesses and communities in the South West will be better prepared for the impacts of climate change by a $20 million drought resilience hub. The Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub will benefit the South West by serving as a tool to harness research, development and innovation to help build drought resilience across regional Australia. Based at the Merredin Dryland Research Institute and one of eight in the country, the South West hub will be led by the Grower Group Alliance and feature eight regional nodes to represent the different agricultural and climatic zones of Bunbury, Manjimup, Esperance, Katanning, Albany, Northam, Geraldton and Carnarvon. The eight hubs across the country aim to put farmers and communities at the centre of agrifood innovation and create pathways for producers to input how research is applied on the ground, helping to make regional communities more resilient in the face of future drought. The Australian Government has committed $8 million over four years, with $12 million pledged between more than 40 partner organisations, including the South West Catchments Council. SWCC chief executive Sally Wilkinson said the South West had been hit with the biggest rainfall decline in Australia over the past 50 years and the frequency and severity of droughts was projected to get worse. “It is vital we innovate now and quickly convert research into scalable on-ground practice, to protect our region’s industries and environment,” she said. “The South West Hub will provide access to innovative technologies, cutting edge research and peer-to-peer knowledge, which will transform the way producers and communities are able to prepare for and respond to drought.”