AFTER more than 18 months since Drought Resilience and Adoption Hubs were launched across Australia, leaders came together at Angaston for the first time to zero in on the latest projects being launched this year.
Eight national drought hubs were formed and knowledge brokers were appointed to lead each hub and formulate projects from the ground up.
SA Drought Hub's Tony Randall said each hub had a multitude of partners but knowledge brokers were the crucial link between each of the hubs.
"The key is to share information between hubs. A key requirement for projects, is that its designed form the ground up and farmers priorities are understood, so knowledge brokers are to ensure this is happening.
"People on the ground are listening to farmers' drought resilience priorities and their preparedness for drought."
Across SA, from the Eyre Peninsula, pastoral regions, Mid North, Mallee and South East, there are about 25 projects underway.
Moving in to 2023, new projects have just been launched.
At Wintinna Station in the Far North pastoral area of SA, a virtual fencing demonstration site has been launched.
"We received a very clear message from pastoralists that they needed to see virtual fencing demonstrated in a pastoral setting, not in an inside country farm," Mr Randall said.
Another new project included an autumn feed gap trial, which is being led by the MacKillop Farm Management Group.
The meeting also focussed on the opportunities to develop and deliver joint projects across drought hub jurisdictions, with a focus on extension and adoption of drought resilience practices, tools and technologies.
A cross-hub horticulture project, led by SA, is underway.
It will focus on the viticulture sector in the Riverland, Mildura, Tasmania and Southern NSW.
Citrus and almond growers will also be involved, with the project focusing on access to new technologies to better manage water and irrigation.
Victorian hub knowledge broker Kirsten Diprose is from a farm just across the SA/Vic border and believed all drought hub areas had different circumstances but shared the same goal, to share knowledge.
"It needs to have an effect at a farm level," she said.
I am focused on getting university research on farm, to create real action.
"But also the reverse of that, a lot of innovation happens on-farm but it does not necessarily feed back to the universities.
"We want to know that universities are working on areas of research which is going to be used."
The knowledge broker team has also launched a Think Tank concept earlier this year, to create collaboration with not just partners within the hub but the broader Victorian community.
A Think Tank was held at Bendigo, Vic, in March and focused on climate adaptation, specifically for drought.
"We looked at local and government initiatives to open up the discussion about climate change," Ms Diprose said.
"We know it is here and we are feeling the affects. It is hotter and dryer in Victoria, so this is a crucial area for the knowledge brokers to look at.
"We looked at how we are coming together as local communities and which grassroots projects can lead in this area. We are in the project development phase as we speak."
Northern WA/NT hub knowledge broker David Gallacher said drought-based tools were becoming more available to farmers but exactly how it could be integrated into farming businesses was a long-term goal for the hub.
"We have a few projects on the boil to address those areas," he said.
Water-related projects such as a rehydration project north of Alice Springs, NT, which is also relevant to northern SA, is also underway.
"The project will test the rehydration techniques which have been used in high-rainfall zones, to find out the economic balance of this on-farm," Mr Gallacher said.
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Vanessa Binks
I am the Markets Editor and journalist at the Stock Journal. I am based at Nuriootpa in SA's lower north.
I am the Markets Editor and journalist at the Stock Journal. I am based at Nuriootpa in SA's lower north.
