South-West WA Hub Update

April 2026

Dry Season Resources

Dry Season Resources podcast

Find the latest episodes of the SW WA Hub's Dry Season Resources podcast below. Be sure to subscribe on your favourite podcast platform to never miss an episode. 

Have feedback or suggestions?

If you have ideas for topics we could cover, we’d love to hear from you.
Email us at swwadroughthub@gga.org.au.

General News

Last chance: Applications for drought resilience research bursaries close tomorrow

Are you a PhD or master’s student looking to make a real impact on agriculture? Or know someone who is?

The SW WA Hub is offering a small number of bursaries of $5,000 to $25,000 to support students to include an extension component in their drought resilience research in 2025/26-2026/27.

This is a fantastic opportunity to integrate practical extension activities into your research while contributing to drought resilience and on-the-ground change in WA agriculture.

Find out more about the bursary program.

Who can apply?

• Enrolled in a PhD or MSc at Murdoch University, UWA, ECU or Curtin University,
• Able to complete the extension component by 30 April 2027,
• Research aligned with drought resilience priorities.

How to apply

Submit an expression of interest through our online form. Applications 30 April. 

Upcoming Hub Events

Take your extension skills to the next level — 6 May to 18 June

If you're looking to sharpen your extension skills, register today for our upcoming Extension and Adoption training program! Registrations for the face-to-face modules close this Monday.

This practical, six-part professional development series is perfect for grower group staff, industry consultants, and extension or research professionals looking to enhance their ability to support farmer adoption of new practices.

Dates and topics

• Wednesday 6 May (online): Prioritising Projects
• Monday 11 May (in person): Extension Planning [Registrations close Monday 4 May]
• Tuesday 12 May (in person): Facilitation [Registrations close Monday 4 May]
• Wednesday 27 May (online): Event planning
• Tuesday 9 June (online): Using AI in Extension
• Thursday 18 June (online): Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL)

Participation is flexible: register for some or all dates. 

Price

Hub consortium partners and GGA network members have access to subsidised tickets: $55 per online session | $110 per in-person session (plus ticketing fee).

All other industry delegates: $110 per online session | $176 per in-person session (plus ticketing fee).

Hub Projects in Focus

Exploring agrisolar's potential in WA vineyards

Growers, researchers and industry representatives came together at Plume Estate in the Bickley Valley last Wednesday to explore how agrisolar could offer new energy solutions for Western Australia’s viticulture industry while maintaining high‑quality grape production.

Participants toured WA’s first agrisolar installation in a commercial vineyard and heard preliminary trial results from the project team, who have been monitoring vine performance, microclimate conditions and solar panel performance since the system was installed.

With wine regions across Australia facing rising temperatures and reduced water availability during the growing season, the Hub and its project partners are investigating whether agrisolar can help build climate resilience in local production systems. The Plume Estate trial is a key step in understanding how integrated solar and horticultural systems can work in practice.

This work forms part of the University of Melbourne-led Plant Production Agrivoltaics project, funded by AgriFutures and coordinated in Western Australia by the SW WA Hub with support from the Australian Government's Future Drought Fund. 

Subscribe to our Project Follower list to receive updates about this project. 

Recordings available: Building Resilient Farming Systems webinar series

Missed any of our recent lunchtime webinars? Catch up now by watching the recordings: 

• SMART SPRAYS: Maximising the benefits from rainfall – Murdoch University’s Professor Dan Murphy and Cheryl Rimmer share key learnings from testing biodegradable polymer sprays that enhance water retention in cropping systems.
• Diversifying farm income: Integrating renewable energy into agriculture – Farmanco’s Kelly Ryan explores how renewable energy can be strategically integrated into farming systems to improve resilience, support drought preparedness, and strengthen long-term sustainability.
• Barriers and opportunities for agricultural natural capital as an asset class – Associate Professor Ram Pandit (UWA) and Thomas Picton-Warlow (MobileGlobal) highlight how natural capital can be leveraged as an asset to support sustainable and profitable farming systems.
• Sustainable transformation of waste from the potato industry into novel feedstock – Nick Stamatiou (Whole) shares how potato waste can be transformed into valuable feed resources, supporting circular economy approaches and farm sustainability.
• Transformative Aboriginal Agricultural Methods - Clint Hansen (Maaman Marra Boodjar), Associate Professor David Blake and Professor Janine Joyce (ECU) share how Aboriginal knowledge and regenerative farming systems can work together to build drought resilience in contemporary broadacre farming.
• Investigation of methane emissions from farm dams – This session featured insights from two Grower Group Alliance-led projects exploring methane emissions from farm dams in Western Australia and nationally, and the broader opportunities to improve water quality, biodiversity, and on-farm climate resilience.

Hub Team Out and About

Capturing voices and priorities from the Gascoyne region

The Gascoyne is the northernmost part of the SW WA Hub region, sitting at the intersection of the southern rangelands and northern horticultural systems. Parts of the region were recently impacted by cyclones, while much of the broader area has experienced prolonged drought.

Last week, Knowledge Brokers Tanya Kilminster and Mary-Anne Glanzlowe travelled to the Gascoyne to deliver the final Early Insights for More Resilient Communities workshop and engage with local industry. Cyclone damage has affected critical infrastructure, much of which underpins drought resilience. In areas impacted by flooding, erosion has also led to significant soil loss, particularly where ground cover was limited.

Although some areas were affected by cyclones, most of the Gascoyne remains in drought and continues to face ongoing pressure. The visit focused on identifying regional priorities and discussing the upcoming NHT Climate Smart Agriculture funded Smart Grazing, Stronger Lands project, focused on the adoption of tools and technology for grazing and landscape management. It also provided an opportunity to connect stakeholders, including those involved in Regional Drought Resilience Plan development within the Gascoyne Development Commission, pastoralists, grower groups, and Aboriginal representatives.

The Hub's role is to support and strengthen these networks so they can deliver more effective and locally relevant outcomes.

Regional Nodes

Smart Spud sensor to increase water use efficiency in the potato industry

South West NRM, a Regional Node of the Hub, have been awarded a small grant to look at water use efficiency across the potato supply chain.

The project aims to increase the water use efficiency of the potato industry by increasing marketable yield. Marketable yield can be increased through the reduction of potato waste from bruising and mechanical damage during and post-harvest. Production practices during harvest, transport and processing which are contributing to the damage can be identified using a Smart Spud sensor. By reducing wastage through the identification of key crop damage occurrences, less water will be required to produce maximum yield on farm, supporting overall farm resilience and profitability.

Project partners are South West NRM Regional Drought Node lead, Rachel Lancaster (Environmental and Agricultural Testing Service (EATS)), WA Potatoes, and five potato growers from South West WA.

Soil Stories

Soils and seeding: some considerations for different soil types

By Bridget Watkins, Regional Soil Coordinator

Seeding is a critical phase in broadacre cropping systems in Western Australia, where production relies on annual crops establishing successfully within a narrow seasonal window. Many factors influence successful establishment, and the resulting yield, including soil types. This summary captures some of the considerations growers can keep in mind during seeding, including in relation to:

• Soil moisture
• Water repellent soils
• Following strategic tillage – ripping, spading, discing etc.

Bridget Watkins is the South-West WA Regional Soil Coordinator (RSC). The RSC project provides opportunities for researchers, primary producers and community groups to collaborate and share knowledge related to soil health and management. The project is supported by the Australian Government's Climate-Smart Agriculture Program under the Natural Heritage Trust, and in South-West WA is led by the SW WA Hub in partnership with SoilsWest at Murdoch University.

Have Your Say

Relevant News, Events and Resources

Season 2026: information for WA farmers

Did you know? The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) provides seasonally relevant information and management options in the broadacre and south-west agricultural areas of Western Australia.

Latest updates and advice

• The seasonal climate outlook for April to June 2026 indicates largely neutral rainfall for agricultural areas and below normal rainfall for the north of Western Australia.

• DPIRD’s Seasonal Climate Outlook Newsletter explains the latest in the forecast models and the seasonal impact that could have for the south west land division. Read the newsletters.

Support through prolonged drought: Drought Hardship Loan

The Australian Government has introduced the RIC Drought Hardship Loan to support farm businesses experiencing severe and prolonged drought.

The loan provides up to $250,000 over five years, at the RIC’s concessional interest rate (currently 5.18 per cent), with a two-year repayment holiday, to help farmers manage essential operating costs and improve cash flow during extended dry conditions.

It is available to eligible farm businesses that have managed through at least 24 months of drought and expect further impacts ahead. The loan complements other drought support and can be accessed alongside state and territory programs.

National Mentoring Initiative: 12 months of peer connection and support

Register your interest for the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation’s National Mentoring Initiative. Bringing together mentees from agriculture-dependent communities who want to contribute to their community’s drought resilience with experienced mentors through a flexible, 12-month virtual mentoring program designed to build leadership. This initiative is part of the Future Drought Fund’s Communities Program.

Grants available for regional communities

The Foundation For Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR) has two grants currently available through their Strengthening Rural Communities program:

• Small & Vital for grassroots solutions to local issues. This round also includes additional funding for digital initiatives to support adults, including a targeted Larger Leverage stream, offering grants up to $50,000.
• Prepare & Recover for resilience and recovery initiatives in climate-impacted communities.

Applications close 24 June 2026.

Check out the program pages linked above for the program objectives and criteria, key dates and how to apply.

Locally Relevant News from the Future Drought Fund

Find out about the Future Drought Fund

The Future Drought Fund (FDF) provides secure, continuous funding for drought resilience initiatives and will help Australian farmers and communities prepare for the impacts of drought.