South-West WA Hub Update

June 2025

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. 

Dry Season Shorts: fast, practical tips for dry times

Short on time? So are we. That’s why our Dry Season Shorts video series delivers quick, practical advice from people tackling dry seasons head-on.

Watch our latest clips:

• Keeping dams full: insights from the WaterSmart Dams project | Associate Professor Nik Callow, University of Western Australia
• Planning for dry years in the good years | Richard Brake, Richard Brake Consulting
• Managing infrastructure, land and grazing pressure | Nicholas Forrester, Kanandah Station
• Mental wellbeing during dry seasons | Louise O'Neill, Farm Life Fitness
• On-going condition of stock in the Rangelands shows good drought management | Ross Wood, grazier and GNRBA

General News

A group of twelve joined the Hub study tour to South Australia in 2023.

Register for study tour to explore agtech and climate innovation in Vic and Tas

Join us for a five-day study tour to Victoria and Tasmania from 31 August to 5 September 2025!

Western Australian farmers, researchers and agronomists are invited to join an interstate study tour exploring climate adaptation and innovation in agriculture. 

Designed to help farmers navigate a drying, warming climate, the tour will showcase practical innovations in pasture management, agtech, and climate adaptation in intensive livestock, mixed, and horticultural systems. By exploring diverse production systems, participants can gain fresh perspectives, discover transferable practices, and build a broader understanding of the tools and technologies helping different sectors respond to climate challenges. Check out some of the key locations in the link below. 

It’s also a chance to connect with fellow growers, researchers and industry leaders who are tackling similar challenges across the country. 

The South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub will cover the cost of accommodation, most meals, and all bus travel (valued at $2,000). Participants are asked to contribute a $500+GST non-refundable deposit, and cover their own flights, travel insurance, and incidentals.

Keen to be part of it?

With just 15 places available, interested participants are encouraged to apply early. Submit an expression of interest (EOI) through the link below by 8 August 2025. 

Forum25 tickets are now live – don’t miss out! 

Registrations are now open for Forum25, GGA’s premier event for grower groups, researchers, and ag industry leaders, held at Joondalup Resort from 31 July to 1 August 2025.

This two-day forum offers great opportunities for connection, collaboration, and insight into the future of WA agriculture. The event kicks off with a welcome cocktail party on Thursday evening, followed by a full-day conference on Friday.

As part of the program, the SW WA Hub will host an exclusive (invitation-only) stakeholder breakfast on Friday morning, featuring Jethro Sercombe (Third Story) presenting practical tools for effective co-design.

Early bird tickets (up to 20% off) are available until 3 July.

Watch the presentations from the Drought Resilience Showcase

We hosted our inaugural Showcase and Field Tour on 11-12 December 2024 in Perth, bringing together over 90 farmers, grower group staff, researchers, agribusinesses, and government agencies.

The event featured innovative Future Drought Fund projects, including containment feeding, carbon benchmarking, and virtual fencing, tailored to WA’s agricultural needs.

Missed it? You can watch the Showcase presentations online. Click the link below to access the recordings.

Hub Projects in Focus

Renewable Energy Policy in WA: Considerations for Growers

The WA Government’s renewable energy targets of 80 percent emissions reduction by 2030 and net zero by 2050 have triggered a surge in energy projects, particularly in regional areas connected to the South-West Interconnected System (SWIS). As a result, growers are increasingly approached by proponents seeking land access for wind and solar infrastructure.

Farmanco’s recent analysis as part of their “Diversified Farmland Income” project, highlights that while these projects offer new income streams, they also introduce complexity. Project scale, turbine placement, and payment structures vary widely. Two main remuneration models exist: a flat-fee per turbine (commonly $40,000/year) or a profit-share based on energy generation, which can offer higher returns but carries more risk and requires transparency from project owners.

Growers must weigh lease payments against foregone farming profits, e.g., 10 hectares excluded could cost $15,450 over five years based on high rainfall zone benchmarks.
Negotiations should cover not only lease payments but legal, accounting, and project costs. Collective bargaining, where a trusted representative negotiates on behalf of multiple landowners has proven effective - ensuring consistent remuneration per turbine and stronger negotiating power.

Growers are encouraged to approach proposals with caution, seek professional advice, and fully understand the long-term implications before signing agreements.

Want to know more? Farmanco’s three-part podcast series will be available from 7 July, exploring the following topics:

Podcast 1: Why Renewables Are Knocking on WA Farm Gates
Podcast 2: Are Renewable Energy Projects Worth It for WA Growers?
Podcast 3: How Communities Can Stay Ahead of the Renewable Energy Curve

This project is supported by the South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub, through funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.

Exploring native legumes as future grain crops and pastures

Diversifying farming systems is key to building long-term sustainability and profitability on Western Australian farms, especially in response to a drying, warming climate.

Native legumes offer a promising path for diversification. With natural adaptations to local soils and climatic conditions, they could be well-suited for integration into farming systems as alternative grain crops and pastures. But turning a native species into a viable crop involves careful, multi-stage research.

PhD candidate Selassie Ahiakpa, from Curtin University, is exploring this potential through a research project supported by a bursary from the South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub (SW WA Hub).

“Last spring, I collected samples of native legumes and I’m now establishing a living germplasm using cuttings and seed,” Selassie said.

“A key aspect of my research is farmer participation. Farmers can contribute to the study by growing these species on their properties and providing feedback on their performance.”

To find out more or express interest in collaborating, contact Selassie at e.ahiakpa@postgrad.curtin.edu.au or visit the project page.

WA farmers gain powerful new digital platform for evaluating water security

A new digital platform is helping Western Australian farmers take the guesswork out of water infrastructure planning. The Water Evaluation Platform (WEP) enables users to choose the most effective dam infrastructure strategy, based on their local climate, budget, and water needs.

The Platform is the result of two years of research and field trials at demonstration sites and was made possible through the WaterSmart Dams – Making Dams Work Again project. Led by the Grower Group Alliance (GGA), through the South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub, this project is a collaborative effort with the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), Western Australian grower groups, farmers, and the Centre for Water and Spatial Science at UWA.

The WEP is now live, free, and publicly available to all for evaluating potential drought resilience solutions.

Explore the Water Evaluation Platform now: https://waterevaluationplatform.app/dam/

Drought Hub Team Out and About

WA Women Represent Southern Rangelands at International Congress

Two leading women from Western Australia’s Southern Rangelands, Debbie Dowden and Alys McKeough, recently attended the XII International Rangeland Congress in Adelaide (2–6 June 2025), supported by the South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub. Through an expression of interest process, the Hub provided two sponsored tickets to pastoral leaders committed to advancing climate and drought resilience in rangeland systems.

Held every four years, the Congress brings together global leaders in rangeland science, policy and practice. This year’s event welcomed over 700 delegates from 48 countries, offering an unparalleled opportunity to learn from and connect with the global rangelands community.

Lessons from New Zealand's AgriFood Tech Landscape

Doug Hamilton, Innovation Specialist and Broker, recently joined a week-long WA delegation to New Zealand, exploring agtech, innovation and agrifood value chains. Organised by DPIRD and supported by Rebbeck Consulting, the tour brought together growers, startups and government to build trade, investment, innovation and R&D links across the Tasman. There was strong representation from WA, including members of the GGA network: Western Beef (Jeisane Accioly), Western Dairy (Sue-Ellen Shaw), and Sweeter Banana (Doriana Mangili). 

The group visited major research hubs like Plant & Food Research, food innovation spaces like The Food Bowl, and leading farms and vertically integrated producer, packer and exporter businesses. They also attended Fieldays NZ, the Southern Hemisphere’s largest agricultural event.

Regional Nodes

Gabyon Station Field Visit

While out and about visiting our northern Wheatbelt Node at Northern Agricultural Catchments Council (NACC), Node Manager Alison Lacey also attended the field day at Gabyon Station. The event drew strong attendance, with pastoralists and farmers travelling from far and wide. The Southern Rangelands Regional Node lead, Rangelands NRM, was also in attendance.

Guest speaker Alejandro Carrillo, a renowned Mexican regenerative rancher, shared how he’s transformed degraded desert country using holistic management. His message: start small, focus trials on your best land, and use livestock to rebuild biology. He encouraged longer rest periods, small-cell grazing, and culling the bottom 2% of your herd to build resilience and reduce labour. Gabyon co-owner Gemma Cripps showcased her own regenerative trials, using Gallagher virtual fencing collars on a small herd across 40 ha paddocks. Benefits include calmer cattle, more even grazing and reduced labour, but challenges like network failures and collar fit persist.

The group compared cell and traditional grazing paddocks, sparking practical discussion on system tweaks, dung beetles, water access and herd management. Many left inspired to trial changes, including Alejandro’s closed-herd approach. To boost biology in degraded patches, Gemma is also trialling compost extracts and free-range chickens, with 130 birds now producing up to 50 dozen eggs a week for the Geraldton market.

This event was delivered as part of RegenWA’s Accelerating Regenerative Adoption project, supported by the WA Government’s State NRM Program and DPIRD.

Read more from SW WA Regional Soil Coordinator, Bridget Watkins. 

Soil Stories

Gemma Cripps and Alejandro Carillo discussing the virtual fencing collar program at Gabyon Station (top left). SW WA Regional Soil Coordinator, Bridget Watkins, and Sam Burgess (Sustainable Agriculture Facilitator, Rangelands NRM), on ground at Gabyon Station (right). 

Regenerating the Rangelands: From Mexico to the Mid-West of WA

By Bridget Watkins, Regional Soil Coordinator

The South-West WA Regional Soil Coordinator, Bridget Watkins, visited Gabyon Station (200 km east of Geraldton) in June 2025 to hear from Alejandro Carrillo and see the virtual fencing program Gemma Cripps has initiated at Gabyon. 

Alejandro, a cattle rancher from Mexico, has implemented a cell grazing operation on his property to promote sustainable growth of perennial pastures.

Read Bridget's article outlining key messages from Alejandro, guidance to consider implementing on your own property, the benefit to soil and learnings from Gabyon Station's virtual fencing collar program. 

The Regional Soil Coordinator project provides opportunities for researchers, primary producers and community groups to collaborate and share knowledge related to soil health and management. This project is supported by the Australian Government through funding from the Climate-Smart Agriculture Program under the Natural Heritage Trust. The project is led by the SW WA Hub, partnering with SoilsWest at Murdoch University.

Have Your say

Share Your Thoughts on Intercropping

Farmers are invited to take part in a research project exploring the challenges and opportunities of intercropping canola with legumes in Western Australia.

The study, supported by a bursary from the SW WA Hub, is led by UWA PhD student Chloe Rout and supervised by Professor Ken Flower, with the aim of identifying practical insights to inform a 2026 field trial.

Eligible participants must be over 18 and a primary decision-maker in their farming business.

Chloe is seeking growers willing to share their experiences and perspectives in a 30-60 minute interview. Your input will directly support local agronomic research into intercropping systems.

To participate, contact Chloe at chloe.rout@uwa.research.com.au or contact your local grower group. 

Relevant News, Events and Resources

Build your farm's future with the Farm Business Resilience program

Farmers and pastoralists across WA can now access targeted support to strengthen their business through the Farm Business Resilience program. Delivered in partnership between the WA Government and the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund, the program supports producers in dairy, aquaculture, horticulture, apiculture, broadacre, Aboriginal primary industries, and the pastoral sector.

Participants will build strategic business skills, improve risk management, and strengthen their personal ability to adapt to change. Tailored business planning and access to professional advice are also included.

Victoria Hub to host Drought Resilience 2025 conference

The Victoria Drought Resilience Innovation and Adoption Hub will host the Drought Resilience 2025 conference in Geelong, Victoria, from 9–11 July 2025. This event will bring together experts from across the sciences, health, law, business, technology, humanities, arts disciplines as well as Traditional Knowledge to explore collaborative approaches to support drought resilience.

Hub Knowledge Broker Tanya Kilminster will be presenting on the role of grower groups in advancing climate and drought resilience in Australian agriculture. Tanya will also then join a panel with fellow Hub Knowledge Brokers to further explore the role of farmer networks in conducting applied research for impact, and how the various models across Australia drive resilience and innovation. Both sessions will be a unique opportunity to highlight the importance of grower groups as key facilitators of climate and drought resilience.

Australia's national Climate Adaptation conference heads to Perth this July

Perth will host Australia’s leading event on climate vulnerability, impacts, and adaptation from 23–25 July 2025 at the Pan Pacific. The Climate Adaptation Conference brings together practitioners, researchers, policymakers and community leaders to share insights, build connections and strengthen the national adaptation community.

A key part of the program includes a primary industries stream on the afternoon of Day 1, spotlighting the challenges and opportunities for sectors like agriculture in a changing climate.

Hub Director Dr Jo Wisdom will present in this stream, delivering a session titled “Accelerated resilience – driving collaboration for rapid agricultural climate adaptation”. Her talk will explore how collaboration is essential to supporting climate adaptation programs allowing producers to respond more quickly and effectively to climate challenges.

Season 2025: 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 from DPIRD

• The Bureau of Meteorology’s rainfall outlook for June to August 2025 indicates near normal rainfall for the lower west of WA. The pattern of above normal temperatures is expected to continue through winter with forecasts of unusually high daytime temperatures over most of Australia... Read more.

MLA request for tender: Forage strategies for failing crops

Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) is seeking preliminary proposals for RD&A projects that will identify, evaluate and demonstrate strategies for utilising failing or weedy crops for forage either through grazing or conserved forage in the form of hay or silage.

Preliminary proposals must be received by MLA before 5pm AEST Friday 18 July 2025.

Locally Relevant News from the Future Drought Fund

Applications for Drought Resilience Lab Cohort 4 are now open

Beanstalk’s Drought Resilience Lab is back for its fourth cohort! Backed by the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund, this 12-week program supports agtech founders, researchers, and industry disruptors in turning their technologies into market-ready solutions to tackle future drought and climate challenges.

The program will run for 12 weeks, starting in September 2025 and concluding in December 2025. Applications are open from 16 June to 27 July 2025. 

Hay and silage webinar offers insights and tips for the future

Western Beef's recent webinar provides a summary of the quality results from Western Australian hay and silage samples submitted by the 2023 and 2024 Better Hay and Silage participants. The Better Hay and Silage workshops, led by Western Beef, were supported by the Future Drought Fund.

A number of other useful resources to assist with improving hay and silage outcomes can be found on the Western Beef website.

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.