The latest news, events and opportunities from the SW WA Hub
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Welcome from the Director
Welcome to the June edition of the South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub (SW WA Hub) newsletter.
There is plenty happening across the Hub ecosystem this month, with new resources, training outcomes and on-ground innovation featured throughout this edition. Before we dive in, I’d like to share that I have stepped into the role of Acting Hub Director, effective 15 June 2026. I would like to sincerely thank Dr Jo Wisdom for her leadership and the strong foundation she has helped build for the Hub.
For those I haven’t worked closely with yet, I am a sheep and grain producer from Bruce Rock and have worked as a Knowledge Broker with the SW WA Hub since 2021. I’m looking forward to continuing to work closely with the WA and national agricultural community in this new capacity. My focus remains on supporting practical innovation and strengthening drought resilience across our region.
This month’s Dry Season Resources podcast features two important conversations. The first explores how pastoralists in Australia’s Southern Rangelands are being supported to adopt climate-smart decision tools to improve grazing management and ecosystem health. The second looks at approaches to de-risking drilling and securing more reliable on-farm water supplies in the Wheatbelt.
We’ve also recently wrapped up the 2026 Extension and Adoption Training Program, delivered through the Grower Group Alliance capacity building program.
This year brought together 45 participants and included both face-to-face and online learning, plus a new session on the practical use of artificial intelligence in extension. Program resources are now available on the Hub website, with further one-on-one support in development.
Innovation continues through the PropaGATE trial at Spinifex Brewing, where a new technology is being tested to help reduce wastewater costs and improve treatment outcomes for breweries.
Across our Regional Nodes, South West NRM has shared encouraging results from perennial pasture trials, Stirlings to Coast Farmers has released a practical video on variable rate nitrogen use, and Facey Group is hosting an innovation workshop in July to support turning on-farm challenges into funded projects and practical solutions.
I hope you enjoy this month's stories. If this newsletter was forwarded to you, why not subscribe to receive the SW WA Hub’s latest updates, events, and opportunities directly in your inbox?
Kind regards,
Tanya Kilminster | Acting Hub Director
South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub
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.
Breaking down barriers to technology adoption in the Southern Rangelands
Richard Marver (Contour Consulting) and Krystie Bremer (Gascoyne Pilbara Rangelands Initiative) discuss the Smart Grazing, Stronger Lands project, which will assist pastoralists from Australia’s Southern Rangelands to adopt proven climate-smart decision support tools and technologies to improve grazing management and ecosystem health.
De-risking drilling to secure on-farm water supplies
Securing reliable on-farm water is one of the most pressing challenges for Wheatbelt farmers facing consecutive dry seasons. In this episode, Dr Richard George from DPIRD and Professor Brett Harris from Curtin University talk about a targeted approach to finding water in fractured bedrock aquifers deep beneath the Wheatbelt landscape.
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
Extension and adoption training wraps up for 2026
Last week, we wrapped up another round of our Extension and Adoption Training Program, delivered through GGA’s capacity building program.
This year’s program brought together 45 grower group staff, industry consultants, and extension and research professionals to strengthen their skills in supporting farmers to adopt new practices.
We introduced a few changes in 2026, including delivering the facilitation training in person rather than online. The face-to-face format gave participants a more practical opportunity to experience and apply a range of facilitation techniques. We also ran a new session on using artificial intelligence in extension, exploring how AI can help turn research and results into extension materials in multiple formats.
Program resources are available on the Hub website. Check them out.
Looking ahead, we’ll be offering one-on-one support to help grower groups turn their own results and research into tailored extension materials. To find out more or get involved, email swwadroughthub@gga.org.au.
Hub Projects in Focus
New technology could save WA brewers thousands in wastewater costs
A new wastewater treatment system being trialled at Spinifex Brewing in Nambeelup could help address a costly challenge facing breweries across Western Australia.
Like many breweries connected to the mains sewer, Spinifex Brewing is charged for wastewater disposal based on both volume and contaminant levels. When wastewater exceeds discharge thresholds, those costs can rise significantly.
Through the PropaGATE Innovation Challenge, Hydroleap’s electrocoagulation technology is now being tested on site, with early results showing promise in improving wastewater quality.
Supported by the Hub through the Australian Government's Future Drought Fund, the Food Innovation Precinct Western Australia, and led by Beanstalk AgTech, the trial highlights how innovation can help agrifood businesses reduce operating costs, improve environmental outcomes and explore circular economy opportunities.
Read more about how the technology works and what’s next in our blog post.
New insights into methane emissions from farm dams
Did you know that farm dams can be sources of methane emissions? Our new video explores findings from a pilot project led by The University of Western Australia and supported by the Hub that investigated methane emissions from farm dams under Western Australian conditions.
The project was one of the first in the state to measure methane emissions directly from farm dams in the field. While more research is needed before specific management recommendations can be made, the study highlights the complex relationship between methane emissions, water quality, dam design and farm management.
The findings also reinforce the benefits of good dam management practices, including improving water quality and supporting livestock health.
Watch the new project video to learn what the researchers discovered and why farm dams could play an important role in future efforts to improve farm productivity and reduce emissions.
Hub Team Out and About
Panel at Collaborate Innovate Conference 2026. Photo: Cooperative Research Australia
Reflections from the Collaborate Innovate Conference
In May, Dr Jo Wisdom and Tanya Kilminster represented GGA and the SW WA Hub at the Collaborate Innovate Conference, hosted by Cooperative Research Australia at the UWA University Club in Perth.
Bringing together industry, research institutions, government and innovation-focused organisations, the conference offered a useful chance to step outside the day-to-day and hear how other sectors are approaching some of the same challenges we grapple with in agriculture: how to move good ideas into practice, how to build the right partnerships, and how to create impact that lasts beyond a single project.
In our latest blog article, we share five ideas from the conference that resonated with us and had strong relevance for agriculture more broadly.
Robotic dairy at Noalimba Farms, Capel. Photo: Western Dairy
Innovation and robotics take centre stage at Dairy Innovation Day
More than 450 people attended Western Dairy’s Dairy Innovation Day on 4 June at Noalimba Farms in Capel River, making it the event’s biggest turnout yet and highlighting strong industry interest in future-focused dairy systems.
The event showcased a range of innovative farm management technologies, with a particular focus on newly installed robotic dairy equipment. Hub Innovation Specialist Doug Hamilton attended on behalf of the SW WA Hub.
While robotic dairies require significant upfront investment, they can offer a range of benefits for dairy businesses, including reduced labour pressure, lower stock handling stress, improved feed efficiency and increased cow productivity by allowing cows to be milked when they choose.
Importantly, these productivity gains can be achieved without increasing water use, helping dairy businesses maintain profitability and resilience in increasingly dry and variable conditions.
Regional Nodes
Perennial pastures show promise for extending feed quality
A new study from South West NRM, the Peel and South West Node of the Hub, has highlighted the potential benefits of perennial pastures for South West WA livestock producers.
The study compared perennial and annual pastures across six livestock properties near Boyup Brook, Brunswick, Busselton and Manjimup. Results showed that perennial pastures generally provided higher feed quality and supported better predicted cattle performance during key feed-gap periods in November and April, when annual pastures were either drying off or only beginning to emerge after the season break.
By May, both pasture types delivered similar livestock performance, although perennial pastures maintained an advantage through lower excess protein levels and associated metabolic costs.
Read the full report to explore the findings and consider how perennial pastures could support productivity and drought resilience on your farm.
New video tutorial: boost nitrogen efficiency with Variable Rate Technology
Are you looking for a practical, cost-effective way to optimise nitrogen use on your farm?
The latest video tutorial of Stirlings to Coast Farmers, the South Coast and Great Southern Regional Node of the Hub, provides a step-by-step guide to help growers implement VRT using accessible, online tools.
With nitrogen being one of the biggest input costs in dryland farming, and prices continuing to rise due to global uncertainty, improving efficiency is more important than ever.
This tutorial shows how VRT can:
- Reduce input costs
- Improve nitrogen use efficiency
- Increase overall system productivity
- Strengthen resilience in a drying climate
Building innovation skills for a more resilient future
As growers face increasing climate variability and other emerging challenges, finding practical solutions starts with asking the right questions. Facey Group is hosting an Innovation Capability Workshop on 15 July in Wickepin to help growers, advisers, researchers and industry representatives turn on-farm challenges into research, development and funding opportunities.
Facilitated by Dr Natasha Teakle from AgriStart, the workshop will provide practical tools for identifying genuine producer and industry challenges, developing clear problem statements, and building pathways from ideas to projects, funding and partnerships.
Date: Wednesday 15 July 2026
Time: 9:15 am – 2:30 pm
Location: Wickepin Community Centre, Campbell Street, Wickepin
Lunch provided
To register, RSVP by emailing eo@faceygroup.org.au.
Soil Stories
Soil Organic Carbon, with Professor Richard Bell
By Bridget Watkins, Regional Soil Coordinator
Professor Richard Bell recently discussed some key aspects of soil organic carbon with Aimee Mouritz from Wheatbelt NRM.
This podcast episode explores the dynamic nature of soil organic carbon and the balance required to manage it effectively. Around 2% of soil carbon breaks down each year, meaning the first priority is often to maintain existing levels. Even when additional carbon is added, approximately 80% is lost back to the atmosphere, with only 20% retained.
Practices such as claying can help build carbon, but the goal is not simply to store it; active carbon is essential for driving biological processes, nutrient cycling, and disease suppression. Research shows that more acidic soils can retain carbon for longer, though this often reduces biological activity. The key challenge is finding a “sweet spot” where carbon is both stored and actively supporting soil function. The episode also looks at soil organic matter’s role in water storage, noting that while it does contribute, the gains are relatively modest, reinforcing that its greatest value is in supporting overall soil health.
For more information about soil organic carbon and soil organic matter, see this page of the Soil Quality Knowledge Base: Soil Organic Matter.
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.
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
Future Drought Fund 2024–25 annual report
The Future Drought Fund 2024–25 annual report showcases progress in strengthening drought and climate resilience for farmers and regional communities, including:
- 42 additional regional drought resilience plans finalised, bringing the total to 57
- More than 59,000 people benefiting from leadership opportunities or locally led actions
- Establishment of a First Nations Advisory Group
- Over 67,000 farmers accessing training and 36,600 users engaging with the My Climate View online tool
- Design and development of the inaugural First Nations targeted grant, Strengthening drought Resilience on Country
- Development of a new Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Framework.
The report provides insights into how programs, like the SW WA Hub, are helping farmers and rural communities plan and respond effectively to drought and climate challenges.
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.
