Thursday 6 November 2025

Drought support available now

Farmers can access financial assistance and support today to help manage during drought.   

Our website provides information on available support, including financial counselling, mental health and wellbeing services, and links to other organisations that can help.   

You’ll also find practical tools, resources and information to help you plan and manage your feed, water and livestock needs.   

Water planning over morning tea - free weekly webinars

Agriculture Victoria is inviting farmers to sit down with a cuppa and join a series of water planning webinars running over 5 weeks.

Agriculture Victoria Land Management Extension Officer Clem Sturmfels said deciding on upgrades to your farm water supply requires planning and there is no one size fits all answer, however, having a well-considered plan can take the pressure off. 

‘Farmers may be asking themselves: do I build a dam, sink a bore or join a rural pipeline? These questions are front of mind this year after a lack of cool-season rainfall, together with warmer than average temperatures.

‘To assist with developing a water plan, we are running a series of relaxed and informal, morning tea webinars. There will be plenty of time to ask questions and share knowledge and experience.

‘Participants will also have access to a range of past webinar recordings, videos and resources as part of this webinar series.’

Presented by Mr Sturmfels who has more than 45 years experience in the design, construction and repair of farm dams and farm water reticulation systems, this series is full of practical information and tips for farmers to help set themselves up now and into the future.  

When: 10 am every Tuesday from 18 November through to 16 December. Participants are encouraged to attend all 5 sessions.

The Farm Drought Support Grants provide eligible farmers up to $5,000, and up to $10,000 in south west Victoria, as a co-contribution grant to support activities like water infrastructure upgrades (pipes, tanks, troughs and dams), along with other eligible activities.

Farm businesses across the state can book a free one-on-one session through the Farm Advisory Service with a specialist of their choice from Agriculture Victoria’s panel of farm advisors.

These advisors include water experts, farm business advisors, livestock nutritionists, soil and pasture specialists, and veterinarians. 

Find more information about drought support at www.agriculture.vic.gov.au/drought or call 136 186.

Advice on farm water and management decisions 

With the long dry period, many farm dams are yet to fill. Support is available to assist with stock water planning and other farm management decisions.  

All farmers in Victoria can register for a free one to one consultation with a farm management specialist.   

This advisory service offers a session of up to 3 hours (face-to-face or online) and a follow-up call, to talk through and help develop a plan for managing drought conditions.   

The advice is tailored to your situation, with a consultant that you nominate from Agriculture Victoria’s panel. Advice can include stock feed planning, water planning and a range of other on-farm decisions.   

Federal investment bolsters H5 bird flu preparedness

Victoria is ramping up its biosecurity defences against H5N1 bird flu, with new federal support to boost emergency preparedness and rapid response capabilities.

As part of a $100 million national biosecurity package, the Australian Government is investing $1.7 million in equipping Victoria with testing technology and specialised field response tools.

The funding will provide Victoria with crucial frontline equipment, including a PCR unit and other laboratory tools for rapid testing, as well as generators, decontamination trailers and specialised field equipment to support emergency response operations across multiple sites.

Australia remains free from the H5N1 strain of high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI), also known as H5 bird flu. This strain is currently circulating overseas. It mainly affects birds, but can also affect other animals, and, on rare occasions, humans.

Ongoing outbreaks of H5 bird flu globally have increased the level of risk to Australia for incursions of this virus. Annual migration of wild birds will continue to be a risk for introducing new avian influenza viruses to Australian birds.

The Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) is working with other government agencies, land managers and other relevant organisations to prepare for a H5N1 bird flu detection in Victoria.

Work continues with the poultry industry, wildlife experts and land managers to monitor for signs of the virus within wildlife and develop mitigation strategies to protect high-risk wildlife species.

Victoria’s agricultural industry is backed by a $36.7 million Victorian Budget 2025/26 investment to make sure the state is well prepared to respond to biosecurity threats and emergency diseases now and into the future, including avian influenza.

Reporting varroa mite remains vital in transition to management

Agriculture Victoria is encouraging beekeepers to continue to report varroa mite despite the state transitioning to management of the pest.

Throughout August, large numbers of beehives were moved into almond orchards for pollination. As anticipated, new detections of Varroa have and will continue to occur across Victoria.

The focus is now on preparing beekeepers to live with the pest while slowing its spread.

Agriculture Victoria’s Varroa Development Officers are working in field with beekeepers to ensure any positive loads within the state are well managed to minimise the biosecurity risk.

Improving our animal welfare sector and safety

The Victorian Government is strengthening the animal welfare sector to better support our shelters and animal rehoming organisations and their dedicated volunteers.

The Domestic Animals Amendment (Rehoming Cats and Dogs and Other Matters) Bill 2025 passed the Victorian Parliament as a part of our ongoing efforts to promote consistent animal welfare and management standards.

The new laws are the first step towards creating a new voluntary Pet Rehoming Organisation Authorisation Scheme.

This will help participating animal rehoming organisations access benefits such as foster animal registration exemptions and opportunities to hold adoption days in registered pet shops.

What’s in your fire preparedness plan this season?

If you missed our webinar recently, make yourself a cuppa and take some time to listen.

Kylie Macreadie discusses key preparedness activities and the tools and templates you can use to plan ahead.

Farmers who have been impacted by fire also share stories and insights of putting their plans into action.

Hear from:

• Rob Pelletier and Kate Blood, horticulture business owners, Beaufort Victoria
• Doug and Jan James, livestock producers, Bungeet Victoria

A new era for industrial hemp in Victoria

The Victorian Government is opening the door to a new sustainable hemp industry by considering ways to make it easier for Victorian farmers to grow hemp and seize the growing opportunities in this market.

Minister for Agriculture Ros Spence recently launched public consultation on proposed new legislation, inviting Victorians to share their priorities for the industry, what’s working under current laws and ideas for improvement.

Largest Australian duck tracking research project takes flight

The Game Management Authority (GMA) and Deakin University are conducting new research to better understand the movements, survival and behaviour of Victoria’s most important game duck species.

The research involves attaching small solar-powered satellite tracking devices to over 400 individual game ducks from four game duck species over 3 years. Duck species to be fitted with the trackers are Pacific Black Duck, Australian Wood Duck, Grey Teal and Chestnut Teal.

The lightweight tracking devices capture information about the duck’s location, movement, breeding, feeding and resting patterns 24 hours a day and will send the information to GMA and Deakin University researchers via mobile phone network.

GMA Research Principal Dr Jason Flesch said this is the largest study of the movement and survivorship of game ducks undertaken in Australia.

'This project aims to identify the drivers of game duck movement in relation to fluctuating environmental conditions, including water availability, in the Australian landscape. It will also record how long game ducks survive,' Dr Flesch said.

'This vital knowledge will be used with other research to inform Adaptive Harvest Management of game ducks in Victoria, which is being implemented to ensure duck hunting in Victoria remains sustainable.'

The benefits of this research extend beyond hunting. This research will provide a greater understanding of the movement of ducks across Australia and the relationship between habitat and behaviours, which will help improve the management of waterbirds and their habitats.

Deakin University Professor Marcel Klaassen said the knowledge gained from this research will also be used to grow our understanding on the epidemiology of zoonotic diseases, such as avian influenza and Japanese encephalitis.

'By modelling game duck movements, we will, for instance, be able to predict how the highly pathogenic form of avian influenza currently impacting wildlife and poultry populations globally may spread, should it arrive in Australia,' said Professor Klaassen.

The research began in June 2025 and will continue to 2028. Approximately 60 ducks have been fitted with trackers to date.

Members of the public can follow the progress of the research, see where the ducks are travelling, view interviews with researchers and get more information about the project here.

What's On

Details about these events and more can be found on our website.

Irrigation management course

When: Thursday 20 November, 9 am - 5 pm
Where: 308-390 Koorlong Ave, Irymple

We invite you to a free 2-day course providing information on irrigation management aimed at maximising farm profitability and efficiency.

Topics

• soil water principles
• irrigation of Mallee soils
• readily available water (RAW) holding capacity
• irrigation system performance
• leaching efficiency and nutrient management
• irrigation scheduling
• water outlook.

Places are limited, please register via email irrigation@agriculture.vic.gov.au

Carbon Farming Outreach Program webinar

When: Friday 7 November, 3-5 pm

Join Elise Bowen, a trusted expert in sheep production from Sheep Data Management, for a webinar focussing on practical implementation and use of eID data to boost farm productivity and reduce methane emissions.

A Victorian Carbon Farming Outreach Program event.

Bushfire Preparation Workshop

When: Saturday 8 November, 9:30 am - 1 pm
Where: Heritage Fruit Trees, Beaufort (directions provided on booking)

Learn the measures that helped Heritage Fruit Trees defend their home and business during the February 2024 bushfire.

Practical tips on:

• fire pumps and rooftop sprinklers
• managing fuel loads
• stay-or-go fire plans
• preparing to support for firefighters.

Look Over The Farm Gate free event - Werrimull

When: Friday 7 November, 6 pm
Where: Werrimull Hotel

A free event for the whole family not to be missed which includes a free barbecue tea (drinks to be purchased from the hotel) and entertainment by Jarred Shaw and Waldo the Magnificent.

Catch up with neighbours and friends for a chat and grab a bite to eat and at the same time help address mental health.

Guest speaker and Lifeline Regional SA and Far West NSW Ambassador Brendan Cullen will be speaking about his journey on the road to better mental health, fitness and peer support opportunities. Brendan has lived and worked on stations outside of Broken Hill.

Visit brendancullen.com.au for more on his story.

Lean and drought support business planning webinar

When: Tuesday 11 November, 12:30 -3 pm

Learn how to strengthen your operations, improve profitability, and drive long-term sustainability with expert insights from Moshie.

Topics:

• introduction to lean business management and how it applies to your farm business
• Moshie’s tools for identifying waste and improving efficiency to increase profitability and resilience
• simple business planning templates to identify areas for improvement
• straightforward costing tools to improve decision-making and resource management
• strategies for risk management, building drought resilience and long-term business sustainability
• 12 months of access to an exclusive online portal, with workshop resources.

Rural Financial Counselling Service - free webinar

When: Wednesday 12 November, 12 - 1 pm

This session will give an overview of how the RFCS assists farmers, small business owners, and rural communities to build financial resilience and wellbeing, free of charge. The assistance is also available to businesses in regional centres.

You’ll learn about:

• how RFCS supports people through financial challenges
• options for farm debt, budgeting, and financial planning
• free wellbeing and personal support services
• what to expect when speaking with a financial or wellbeing counsellor.

Link to webinar will be provided after registration.

StockSense Goat Essentials Workshop

When: Friday 21 November, 9:30 am to 1:30 pm
Where: Wattle Flat (location will be provided after registration)

Hosted by StockSense, this workshop is a great opportunity to connect with other goat owners and gain some hands-on knowledge.

Presenters:

• Berwyn Squire, Agriculture Victoria Goat Health Veterinary Officer
• Ellie Mowle, Agriculture Victoria Animal Health Officer

Topics:

• foot paring
• vaccinations
• faecal egg counts
• general biosecurity
• body condition scoring
• FAMACHA® for effective worm control.

The event is free and catered.

Trees on farm – Boosting productivity and cutting net emissions

Join our climate webinar to hear about how integrating trees into livestock systems can deliver real productivity gains and help reduce farm emissions.

Date and time: Monday 24 November from 12 -1 pm

Register here:

GRDC events

Birchip Cropping Group events

Contacting Agriculture Victoria

Call 136 186 from anywhere in Australia for the cost of a local call (except for mobiles and public telephones).

If you are deaf or have a hearing or speech impairment, contact us through the National Relay Service at 133 677 or visit the National Relay Service.

All contact points can be found at: agriculture.vic.gov.au/about-us/contact-us

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