The latest news, events and opportunities from the SW WA Hub
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Welcome from the Director
Welcome to the October edition of the South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub (SW WA Hub) newsletter.
It’s been a busy and productive month for the Hub and many of our partners as we collaborated on project proposals for the Future Drought Fund’s Drought Resilience Innovation Challenges Pilot Program, which closed on 22 October. We’ve supported several organisations with advice on their project ideas, partnered on multiple proposals, and submitted applications focused on natural capital, water security, and community resilience.
The Strengthening Drought Resilience on Country grant program remains open, offering opportunities for First Nations businesses and organisations to lead projects that build resilience on Country. If you’re developing an idea and would like to discuss it, our team would be glad to hear from you.
Our special podcast series on sandy soils continues with two new episodes exploring soil re-engineering and the challenge of non-wetting soils. They are both key topics for building more productive and resilient farming systems.
We’re also sharing insights from our recent study tour to Victoria and Tasmania, where Western Australian participants connected with others tackling climate and drought challenges. I invite you to read our report capturing what we observed and learned.
If you’re interested in the renewable energy opportunities emerging in agriculture, you can now watch the recording of a recent webinar featuring Farmanco’s project on integrating renewable energy into farm systems, supported by the Hub.
You can also join us on 28 October for Vitivoltaics in the Valley, a field visit to a demonstration site showcasing how agrivoltaics (the combination of agriculture and solar energy) can work within Western Australia’s viticultural systems. This site will serve as a proof-of-concept for integrating renewable energy into productive farming landscapes.
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,
Dr Jo Wisdom | Hub Director
South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub
FDF Funding Opportunities
Strengthening Drought Resilience on Country
First Nations businesses, organisations or consortia (with a First Nations lead) are invited to apply for the Strengthening Drought Resilience on Country Program grant opportunity to build drought and climate resilience in partnership with First Nations peoples.
The program will run from 2025–26 to 2027–28, with $12 million available to support up to six First Nations businesses and organisations as Delivery Partners.
Hub support
As per previous grant rounds related to drought and climate resilience, the SW WA Hub can assist Hub consortium partners and GGA members by facilitating introductions to interested parties in the industry, and providing high-level advice on how to best meet the grant criteria.
For support, please contact Adoption Manager, Theo Nabben: theo.nabben@gga.org.au | 0403 196 381
Applications close 16 December 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.
Re-engineering sandy soils into productive land
On Episode 2 of our special podcast series on sandy soils, DPIRD soils researcher Dr Gaus Azam and Esperance agronomist Quenten Knight explore how soil re-engineering is improving water access for crops, increasing yields, and strengthening drought resilience.
Understanding and managing non-wetting soils
Murdoch University’s Professor David Henry and recent PhD graduate Maria Pfeifle, now with DPIRD, explore the issue of non-wetting soils (also known as soil water repellency) in Western Australia. They unpack what it is, why it occurs, and what remains unknown, delving into the complexities of managing this persistent challenge.
General News
Participants of the study tour to Victoria and Tasmania. Photo: Roberto Lujan-Rocha.
Resilient Futures: Western Australia’s study tour across Victoria and Tasmania
In September 2025, participants from the SW WA Hub joined their counterparts in Victoria and Tasmania for a week-long study tour. The journey brought together Western Australian farmers, researchers, and consultants with peers, industry innovators, and extension professionals from across southern Australia. The shared goal was to learn from others who are building economic, environmental, and social resilience, in the face of a more variable climate.
Our report documents what we observed and learned. It celebrates innovation, collaboration, and the power of peer-to-peer learning, while highlighting the importance of the national Drought Hub network in connecting ideas, people, and practice.
Photo by Krystie Bremer, Gascoyne Catchments Group
Smart Grazing, Stronger Lands project funded to boost rangeland resilience
Pastoralists and land managers across Australia’s Southern Rangelands will benefit from a major new initiative designed to improve grazing management and ecosystem health. The Smart Grazing, Stronger Lands project, supported by the Australian Government through the Climate-Smart Agriculture Program under the Natural Heritage Trust, will help pastoral enterprises adopt proven climate-smart decision-support tools and technologies.
Led by the University of Adelaide through the SA Drought Hub, the project brings together partners including the SW WA Hub, grower groups, and service providers across 1.5 million square kilometres of the rangelands.
The project will deliver demonstration sites, training, and peer learning to help pastoral businesses improve land condition and resilience.
Upcoming Hub event
Vitivoltaics in the Valley – 28 October
The SW WA Hub, in partnership with industry partners, has installed a first of its kind solar array above a commercial vineyard at Plume Estate in the Perth Hills.
If you are interested in contributing towards the integration of sustainable energy solutions into agriculture, or have heard about “agrivoltaics” and want to find out more about it, come and visit this demonstration site that will serve as a proof-of-concept for deploying agrivoltaics in Western Australia’s viticultural systems. We’ll discuss the concept’s pros and cons and invite growers to help co-design research questions relevant to viticultural operations.
Date and time: 28 October 2025,10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Location: Plume Estate, Bickley WA
Register now: Free to attend but registrations are essential (for catering purposes). RSVP by Friday 24 October.
Hub Projects in Focus
Navigating renewable energy and resource opportunities on farms
With growing competition for land, agricultural areas are increasingly sought after for uses beyond farming, from renewable energy projects to resource development.
Learn how farmers can navigate renewable energy and resource opportunities on their land in this webinar from GGA’s Farm Elevate program. Some of the insights discussed draw on findings from a Farmanco-led project on integrating renewable energy projects in agriculture, supported by the SW WA Hub.
'Gather & Grow' community building grants
Women in Farming branch members can receive up to $3,000 to support a local gathering to discuss key priorities in their community.
The SW WA Hub has partnered with Women In Farming to support regional women in agriculture through funding small, locally led gatherings that strengthen community connections and share ways to plan for, adapt to, and recover from challenges like seasonal variability and a changing climate.
This program is designed to support and build on the valuable work branches are already delivering.
WaterSmart Dams case studies showcase solutions to improve water investment decisions
The Grower Group Alliance has released a new WaterSmart Dams - Making Dams Work Again Case Study Booklet shining a spotlight on innovative farmer-led trials that are helping shape the future of on-farm water security in Western Australia.
The nine case studies highlight the core demonstration trial sites on farms from across the South-West, Great Southern, and Wheatbelt region that investigated the effectiveness of innovative solutions to improve water security, including renovating existing dams, building new dams, and implementing evaporation suppression and run-off technologies.
Hub Team Out and About
Showcasing collaboration at the WAARC Showcase 2025
The SW WA Hub has partnered with the WA Agricultural Research Collaboration (WAARC) to co-fund projects being featured at the WAARC Showcase 2025 this Wednesday 29 October at Perth Zoo.
This free, one-day event will bring together researchers, farmers, students and industry leaders to explore the future of agricultural innovation in Western Australia. Among the projects on display are two joint initiatives between the Hub and WAARC:
- SMART SPRAYS: maximising the benefits from rainfall (this project also receives funding from Murdoch University)
- Transformational Aboriginal agricultural methods: Maaman Marra Boodjar
Members of the GGA/SW WA Hub team will be attending. If you’re there, come and say hello!
Regional Nodes
Upcoming Resilience in Action webinar: From Salt to Productivity
The Resilience in Action webinar series returns with an exciting new session, "From Salt to Productivity", featuring Dr Hayley Norman (CSIRO) and Dr Chris McDonough (Insight Extension for Agriculture). Learn practical strategies for transforming saline country into productive, resilient farmland.
Date &
Time: Wednesday 12 November 2025 – 10:30 AM (AWST)
Location: Online via Zoom – free to attend
Register now: Click here to register
Launched in 2024 by Facey Group, the South-Eastern Wheatbelt Node of the SW WA Hub, with support from the Future Drought Fund, the Resilience in Action series shares practical knowledge and innovations that strengthen drought resilience across Western Australia’s farming systems.
In its first year, the series brought together farmers, researchers and industry to explore topics from natural capital and water efficiency to crop technologies that improve yield stability and soil health. This year, the series kicked off with a webinar on root traits and crop establishment.
Soil Stories
Know Your Southern Soils project builds local knowledge and capacity
By Bridget Watkins, South-West WA Regional Soil Coordinator
The Know Your Southern Soils project is helping farmers and land managers across southern Western Australian better understand and manage their soils. Led by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) in partnership with South Coast NRM, the project will assess over 800 new soil sites, deliver on-ground workshops and demonstrations, and build local capacity through mentoring and training.
Farmers will have the opportunity to get involved through soil sampling, local events, and discussions hosted with partners including North Stirlings Pallinup Natural Resources and ASHEEP & BEEF.
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
Register for the Regional Investment Corporation’s ‘Get RIC Ready’ free online webinar
Heard about Regional Investment Corporation (RIC) low interest loans and want to know more? Thinking about whether a RIC loan is right for you and what you need to know before applying? Registrations are now open the next ‘Get RIC Ready’ free online webinar.
RIC will help you understand how its loans can improve cash flow for farmers in financial need by restructuring up to half of their total debt at a low interest rate. Presenters will include a RIC Agri Lending Manager and Rural Financial Counsellors from South Australia and Victoria.
The webinar will be held at 12pm (AEDT) on Wednesday 29 October 2025. Please visit RIC’s website to register. If you are unable to make this time, register anyway to receive a recording via your email. You must be registered to receive the webinar recording.
RIC is an Australian Government provider of low-interest loans for farm businesses and farm-related small businesses. RIC reports to both the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) and the Department of Finance.
Applications close soon for the ARFL National Mentoring Initiative 2026
The National Mentoring Initiative, led by the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation (ARFL), is a flexible, 12-month virtual program designed to build leadership through connection and learning. It pairs mentors and mentees from across rural, regional and remote Australia. Together, participants build confidence, clarity and capability – not just for their own goals, but for the resilience of their communities.
The program will commence in February 2026. Apply now to become a mentor or mentee and take the next step in your leadership journey.
Applications close Friday 31 October 2025.
Join Beanstalk Drought Venture Studio at their inaugural Virtual Field Day
Over the past two years, Beanstalk’s Drought Venture Studio has supported more than 80 innovators to validate and scale solutions that improve productivity, lift profitability, and strengthen climate resilience.
At this first Virtual Field Day, innovators, farmers, and adoption partners will:
- Share what’s working and what’s not on the ground
- Demonstrate practical solutions in action
- Hear adoption success stories directly from farmers and growers
- Explore pathways to accelerate solution adoption and prepare for future droughts
Date & Time: Thursday 20 November 2025 – 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM AEDT
Location: Online via Zoom – free to attend
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.
