Programs help with drought preparation

The aim of the plans is to support agriculture-dependent communities in these regions to prepare for drought.

The community-led plans were developed during a pilot program over the past two years, with support from hundreds of individuals across the State's Regional Development Commissions, 16 local government authorities, community groups and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.

The interventions outlined in each of the three plans are designed to prepare these regions for future droughts, build resilience, improve natural resource management and position them for investment opportunities that will enhance their capacity to withstand drought.

They will guide investments to build drought resilience, with actions in each plan intended to be implemented in partnership between communities, regional organisations, local government and industry.

It was also announced last week that, during 2024, further drought plans will be developed for the North Midlands, lower Great Southern, northern Wheatbelt, Goldfields-Esperance and Gascoyne and a joint initiative by the Pilbara and Kimberley.

These plans will be community-led and owned and focus on innovative ways to build regional drought resilience across the agricultural sector and supporting industries.

The information gathered during the pilot program will be used in the development of the new tranche of plans.

Funding will be available to take forward joint projects that have been identified as regional priority actions in each plan.

Since the 1970s, there has been a 10-20 per cent decline in rainfall across the South West land division of WA, challenging the agricultural industry and the communities it supports.

With further declines in rainfall and increases in temperatures predicted, the incidence of climate-related events is likely to rise.

This will expose the Wheatbelt to more frequent drought, fire and extreme weather events, such as frost and heat waves.

The impact of these events stretches beyond the agricultural industry and can bring uncertainty and strain to local communities and the broader economy.

The Southern Wheatbelt Drought Resilience Plan is one of the three pilot plans for WA.

The Wheatbelt Development Commission (WDC) will work with the five shires involved in the plan's development to advance projects that target investment in initiatives that will help prepare the southern Wheatbelt region for future drought and climate-related events.

Climate sensitive water and power infrastructure, resilient agricultural systems and economic diversification are identified as priorities for the southern Wheatbelt region.

WDC acting chief executive Susan Hall said there was strong alignment of the plan to local, State and Federal climate and water-related planning and policy.

"This community-focused plan complements other programs in the Future Drought Fund - such as the industry-facing South West WA Drought Resilience Innovation and Adoption Hub," Ms Hall said.

"Given WDC's role in regional economic and community development, this plan maintains a strong focus on community infrastructure and resilience, equipping communities to manage drought and other challenges.

"The WDC will be working closely in the coming months with the five Shires involved in the development of the plan to prioritise projects across the themes identified that will support drought resilience."

The State's $450,000 contribution for the roll-out of the first tranche of three pilot plans was matched by the Australian Government through the Future Drought Fund's Regional Drought Resilience Planning Program, which received $9.85 million nationally in 2021-22.

Funding will be available to take forward joint projects that have been identified as regional priority actions in each pilot report.

WA Agriculture and Food Minister Jackie Jarvis said the three drought resilience pilot plans provided a blueprint for regional communities about how to manage and adapt to a drying climate in WA and nationally.

"The pilot program's documents were developed following extensive community consultation and engagement with experts to support our regions to withstand the impacts of climate change," Ms Jarvis said.

"This latest investment is part of our government's commitment to creating strong regional communities that continue to grow and thrive."

Regional Development Minister Don Punch said WA was a vast and diverse State that could be vulnerable to climate variability and extremes, as seen with floods and fires in recent times.

"This investment provides a roadmap to help communities prepare for and manage difficult conditions and situations with confidence and support," Mr Punch said.

Farm lobby groups, WAFarmers and the Pastoralists and Graziers' Association (PGA) were skeptical about the latest announcement of the pilot plan roll-out.

WAFarmers chief executive officer Trevor Whittington said like a river running into the desert, the $5 billion Future Drought Fund continued with little to show for it.

"Maybe its time for our State minister to tell her Federal government to simply give us our share of the fund and we will spend $1 billion on something useful like 1000 mobile phone towers across the State," Mr Whittington said.

"I suspect the vast majority of farmers would accept better mobile coverage as the trade-off for never asking for a handout during a drought as a good deal."

PGA president Tony Seabrook said, in reality, there was little governments could do to tackle the huge issue of drought.

"Counselling is important and maybe a system of household support to those affected would be a good use of government funds," Mr Seabrook said.

He said the existing farm management deposit scheme was a good tool farmers could use to build the drought resilience of their individual businesses.

Mr Seabrook said further incentive to use farm management deposits would arise if these funds could be transferred to self-managed superannuation funds on retirement.

"This is something I have been pushing with government for about a decade," Mr Seabrook said.