July 2026

Dry Season Resources

Dry Season Resources podcast

Find the latest episodes of our 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

Photo by Angie Roe

Western Australia to share in $59m of Future Drought Fund project funding

Western Australia will benefit from 16 new drought resilience projects funded through three Australian Government Future Drought Fund (FDF) programs, bringing new investment into initiatives that will help farmers and regional communities adapt to a changing climate. Thirty-two projects have been funded nationally through the following programs:

• Scaling Success ($27 million)

This program expands successful FDF projects so they can deliver benefits beyond their original scope, extending proven approaches to new regions and communities.

The Grower Group Alliance has secured funding through this program to continue the WaterSmart Dams project, to increase the capacity of farm dams and community water supplies to capture, store and retain water. The South-West WA and South Australia Drought Hubs will support the project's communications and extension activities. 

• Strengthening Drought Resilience on Country ($12 million)

This program funds community-led projects that strengthen resilience to drought and climate impacts while supporting the Australian Government's Closing the Gap commitment to build the community-controlled sector.

• Drought Resilience Innovation Challenges Pilot ($20 million)

This program supports innovative, challenge-led solutions to complex drought and climate resilience issues.

The Hub played an important role during the funding rounds by helping broker a number of project applications. These newly funded projects will strengthen drought and climate resilience across Western Australia, and we look forward to working with project teams to share knowledge, resources and innovations with our network, helping farmers and regional communities prepare for increasingly variable and drying conditions.

Dr Mary-Anne Glanzlowe: Soil, science and drought resilience 

Dr Mary-Anne Glanzlowe went to university to study environmental management, accidentally fell in love with soil science, and never looked back - going on to complete a PhD before finding her way to the heart of WA's drought resilience effort.

Today, Mary-Anne works with the Hub as an Extension Specialist and Knowledge Broker to translate research into practical tools that help producers make confident decisions in an increasingly variable climate.

Her work is about more than just sharing science - it's about listening to what producers actually need and making sure the right research gets to the right people.

Her career journey was was featured in the WA Agricultural Research Collaboration's Scientist Spotlight series.

Hub Projects in Focus

How agrisolar could help vineyards adapt to a drier future

A new Hub video showcases promising early results from an agrisolar trial in the Perth wine region, highlighting how combining solar panels with vineyard production could improve drought resilience while generating renewable energy. The trial has reduced power bills by around 40%, improved cover crop growth, lowered irrigation use through reduced evaporation, and improved fruit quality through better acid retention. It is still too early to comment on whether the agrisolar installation helps to improve yield, but early results look promising.

The project is investigating how the integration of food and energy production from the same land can help vineyards adapt to a drying climate. While installation costs remain a challenge, the project is collecting data to demonstrate where agrisolar delivers the greatest benefits, reducing the risk for future adopters.

Watch the video to hear firsthand from Hub Innovation Manager Doug Hamilton and vigneron Marcus Geisler about the technology's potential for Australian viticulture.

Precious drops: SMART SPRAYS lifeline for crop farmers facing declining rainfall

A spray made from a biodegradable polymer capable of capturing and redirecting water to crop seeds could be the key to drought-proofing Western Australian farms.

Acting Hub Director, Tanya Kilminster, said the SMART SPRAYS developed by Murdoch University had the potential to be transformative for farmers.

“We've dropped nearly 20% of our winter rainfall in just this region alone in the last 25 years. So, if we've got technology or an innovation that can harvest more water and reduce evaporation to get the seeding bed right to grow more plants, biomass, and then yield, that's a winner,” she said.

The initial phase of the SMART SPRAYS project was supported by the Hub through funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund, and WAARC.

Now that the demonstration phase is complete, Murdoch University researchers, with support from the Grains Research and Development Corporation, will begin developing a commercially viable product that can be made available to broadacre farmers.

Building connections for resilience: the Gather and Grow approach

The Gather and Grow project, led by the Hub with support from the Future Drought Fund, is helping regional women strengthen their role in farm business decision-making and community resilience. Delivered in partnership with Women in Farming, the program provides small grants for locally led events across 13 regional branches in Western Australia.

Women play a critical role in agricultural businesses and regional communities. “They wear lots of different hats, so supporting them is really important,” says Melanie English, Women in Farming Wagin Branch President.

Gather and Grow responds to this by allowing each branch to design events tailored to local needs, ensuring relevance and practical value. In Wagin, members chose to hold an event and enlist an expert on drought and fire resilience, following a recent bushfire event that affected parts of the community.

Watch the video case study or visit the Hub website to learn more about this project.

Hub Team Out and About

Jolien Paalman (Beanstalk Agtech) presenting with Doug Hamilton (GGA/SW WA Hub) and John Gibbs (Spinifex Brewery) at the WA Beer and Brewing Conference.

PropaGATE showcases wastewater innovation at WA Beer and Brewing Conference

The PropaGATE project team and its partners presented on an innovative wastewater treatment trial at the WA Beer and Brewing Conference on 3 July, highlighting how new technology could help improve wastewater quality and support more sustainable food and beverage production.

The presentation focused on a trial underway at Spinifex Brewing Company, located at the Food Innovation Precinct WA, where Singapore-based company HydroLeap’s electrocoagulation technology is being tested to treat brewery wastewater. Electrocoagulation is a process that uses electricity rather than expensive chemicals to clean the water.

Staff Introduction

Soil Stories

Take your soil knowledge from understanding to action

By Bridget Watkins, Regional Soil Coordinator

SoilsWest recently launched their second soil quality e-course, titled Understanding Soil and Plant Nutrition. Freely available through the online learning platform of Soil Quality Courses, this course will help you apply the knowledge from Course 1: Fundamental Soil and Plant Nutrition on your own farm. 

• Collect the right data with confidence by designing fit-for-purpose soil and plant sampling plans and selecting the most useful tests for your purposes.
• Turn test results into better decisions by interpreting soil and plant tissue reports, using benchmarks and indicators, and applying basic statistics to understand trends and variability.
• Improve soil and crop performance by understanding key nutrient cycles and designing, running and evaluating on-farm trials to test practices under your own conditions.

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.

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 June to August 2026 continues to indicate below median rainfall and higher temperatures for most of the southern rangelands and the south-west of the state.
• Rainfall and soil water maps are available on the DPIRD website for the 2026 season so far.

• 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.

Register now for Get RIC Ready free online webinar - 19 August

RIC (Regional Investment Corporation) is hosting a free online Get RIC Ready webinar on Wednesday 19 August at 12 noon AEST (10:00 am AWST) to understand if a RIC low interest loan is right for you and get prepared to apply, so you can take the next step with confidence.  

The webinar is for farmers, advisers and industry representatives keen to find out more about RIC loan eligibility, how to apply, and how RIC loans can help farmers in financial need. RIC Agri Lending Specialists and Rural Financial Counsellors will lead the session to answer your most frequently asked questions.  

Can’t attend the live event? Register anyway and RIC will send you the webinar recording.

Applications are now open for FDF TRAIL Emerging Leaders Program

Are you looking to advance your leadership skills and navigate uncertainty with confidence? The FDF TRAIL Emerging Leaders program is a challenge-based experience, which blends outdoor learning with practical workshops to help you drive positive impact in your organisation, industry or community.

Delivered by the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation (ARLF) in partnership with the Future Drought Fund, this intensive seven-day program is designed for people working across rural, regional and remote Australia.

Who can apply? Future leaders from any rural sector who have previously completed an FDF program with the ARLF
Cost: Fully funded by the Future Drought Fund (all program costs covered)
Dates: 04–11 November 2026 
Location: Canberra, ACT and Wee Jasper, NSW

New drought insights added to My Climate View

A new enhancement to My Climate View is helping farmers and other agricultural professionals better understand how drought is changing across Australia.

Developed in partnership with farmers and their advisors, the updated feature offers insights into different aspects of drought at a local level, drawing on 60 years of historical data and future climate projections.

This added feature enables users to see how drought has affected their region over time and explore the impacts of projected climate changes into the future. By presenting both historical patterns and future scenarios in one place, the tool helps users make better-informed plans and decisions to enhance their climate risk resilience.

My Climate View is delivered by Australia's National Science Agency CSIRO, and the Bureau of Meteorology under the Climate Services for Agriculture program, through funding from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry’s Future Drought Fund.

Locally Relevant News from the Future Drought Fund

Nuffield scholar Claudia Benn in a diverse, multispecies pastures in Tasmania with dairy farmer Mark Lambert (left) and shepherding in the French Alps (right). Photos from Claudia's report.

Global insights from a Nuffield Drought Resilience Scholar

The first research report from a Nuffield Drought Resilience Scholar is now available.

In Building resilience through ecological literacy, connection and community, Queensland cattle farmer, agronomist and Nuffield scholar Claudia Benn explores what helps people, businesses and ecosystems remain resilient in the face of change.

Drawing on experiences from across Australia and overseas, the report examines how adaptability, ecological literacy, strong relationships and knowledge sharing can help build resilience over the long term.

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.