South-West WA Hub Update

March 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

Bursaries available for drought resilience research

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 close 30 April. 

Practical steps to drought-proof your sheep enterprise

Western Australian producers are no strangers to seasonal variability, but building resilience into livestock systems is becoming increasingly critical as conditions shift.

In a recent podcast from Australian Wool Innovation’s extension program, Hub Knowledge Broker, Tanya Kilminster shared practical, on-ground strategies to help sheep producers better prepare for and respond to dry periods.

Drawing on her experiences working closely with producers, the episode focused on actionable steps that can be implemented now to strengthen enterprise resilience. From feed planning and stocking rate decisions to infrastructure and risk management, Tanya highlighted the importance of forward planning and making informed, timely decisions.

A key theme throughout the discussion is flexibility: ensuring systems are set up to adapt as conditions change, rather than reacting once drought has already taken hold. The episode also reinforced the value of using seasonal outlooks alongside local knowledge to guide decision-making.

For producers across Western Australia, particularly in mixed farming systems, these insights provide a timely reminder that drought preparedness is not a one-off task, but an ongoing process.

Listen to the full episode here: Practical steps to drought-proof your sheep enterprise

Upcoming Hub Events

Early Insights for Resilient Communities workshops

Rural, regional and remote communities can experience rapid shifts in resilience during and after events like drought, bushfire, flood, storms, or economic shocks. Yet, community leaders often lack timely data to guide decisions – relying instead on anecdotal evidence.

The Early Insights for More Resilient Communities project addresses this gap by providing up-to-date, localised data to help communities track resilience over time and identify early warning signs of stress.

The first round of the Early Insights for More Resilient Communities project workshops is now complete. Workshops facilitated by Canberra University connected with Southern WA communities, aiming to identify regionally relevant early indicators of resilience with a diversity of stakeholders. 

Dr Jo Wisdom and Dr Mary-Anne Glanzlowe attended the workshops in Busselton and Albany, and Tanya Kilminster the final workshop of this round in Merredin. They witnessed a wide range of community organisations advocate for indicators that impact their communities, so that these could be included in the data and dashboard. The regional differences highlighted the importance of information at a local scale. The overwhelming perspective was that the tool will be a useful resource to assist communities tracking resilience over time and identifying the early warning signs of stress. It will also assist in strategic planning for communities.

We look forward to the next round of workshops heading into Northern WA at the end of April. Anyone working in rural communities across agriculture, health, finance, land management, disaster recovery, and more is invited to join the next set of free workshops to help shape this national dashboard to track resilience where it matters most. With your input, the dashboard will be designed to utilise data and indicators that are relevant to your region and community and be available for use later in the year.

Upcoming workshops: Moora 20 April | Geraldton 21 April | Carnarvon 22 April | Karratha 23 April

Investigation of methane emissions from farm dams webinar – 1 April

This webinar will feature insights from two GGA-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.

Bonny Stutsel (DPIRD) will share the practical realities of measuring methane emissions from farm dams in real-world farming environments, including the challenges and complexities of field monitoring. These insights come from the Hub-supported project Preliminary Investigation of Methane Emissions from Farm Dams in Western Australia.

Martino E. Malerba (RMIT University) will provide a broader overview of methane emissions from farm dams, why they matter for Australian agriculture, and what growers should consider when managing emissions alongside productivity and environmental outcomes. He will also highlight the role of The Ripple Effect project in supporting knowledge sharing, collaboration, and extension activities to drive adoption of innovative practices.

Date: 1 April 2026
Time: 12.00 pm – 12.45 pm
Location: Online (MS Teams)

Vitivoltaics in the Valley returns on 22 April with trial results

A first‑of‑its‑kind solar array in Western Australia is now operating above a commercial vineyard at Plume Estate, exploring how agrisolar can provide alternative energy options in Western Australia’s viticulture industry while maintaining high‑quality grape production.

For the modelling of production and economic impacts, on-site measurements are taken relating to the soil, climate, vines, yield and yield quality. The 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.

If you’re interested in the trial results and economic modelling behind integrating sustainable energy solutions into a viticultural operation, or you’ve heard about “agrisolar” and want to understand it better, register for our Vitivoltaics in the Valley event to tour the demonstration site and explore the concept in more depth.

Date: 22 April 2026
Time: 10.00 am – 2.30 pm
Location: Plume Estate, Bickley WA
Cost: FREE

Hub Projects in Focus

PropaGATE Phase Two – applications now open

PropaGATE Phase Two has officially launched, with applications now open to innovators with commercial-ready wastewater solutions for the meat processing industry.

Focused on bringing the world’s best wastewater technologies to Western Australia’s meat processing industry, this next phase responds to growing pressure on processors to improve systems amid changing regulations and plans for expansion.

Funded by the South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub through the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund, alongside the Food Innovation Precinct Western Australia (FIPWA), PropaGATE supports businesses with commercial-ready wastewater solutions to explore opportunities in the WA market.

The project team recently visited Linley Valley Pork on Wednesday 11 March, touring the facility’s wastewater processing system and building a deeper understanding of the technical challenges faced on-site. Insights from this visit, alongside discussions with smaller meat processors across WA, are ensuring the program is grounded in real industry needs. 

Innovators with commercial-ready wastewater solutions for meat processing are encouraged to apply. Applications close 24 April (5pm AWST).

Renewable energy forum highlights need for on-farm decision support

The recent Renewable Energy Forum hosted by Gillamii Centre in Cranbrook brought together around 50 attendees, predominantly landholders, keen to better understand what renewable energy developments mean for their farms and how to prepare.

As part of the program, Farmanco’s Kelly Ryan and Greg Easton presented on the FDF‑funded Diversified Farmland Income project, sharing available renewable energy resources for landholders, early findings, and key financial risk considerations for on‑farm renewable energy.

The session complemented strong interest in the project’s podcasts and videos, with attendees valuing practical, independent information to help navigate decisions. Feedback highlighted a clear need for continued decision-support tools, as growers look to better understand and assess renewable energy developments in their regions.

Building Resilient Landscapes webinar series - Watch the recordings

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

• 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 boost resilience, support drought preparedness, and strengthen long-term sustainability.
• Barriers and opportunities for agricultural natural capital as an asset class – 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 – Learn how potato industry waste can be transformed into valuable feed resources, supporting circular economy approaches and farm sustainability.
• Transformative Aboriginal Agricultural Methods - Clint Hansen (Maaman Marra Boodjar), 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.

Regional Nodes

Successful Southern Forests Carbon Pilot Project Leads to Second Round of Funding

Regional Drought Node Lead Southern Forests Food Council have been awarded a small grant to extend their successful initial Carbon Pilot Program.

Building on from the success of their initial Carbon Pilot Program they will now engage with a new group of producers (up to 10 new farming enterprises) in the Southern Forests region to strengthen their understanding of carbon accounting, establish farm-level baselines, and practical emissions-reduction and resilience strategies.

It will also further refine the use of the Primary Industries Climate Challenges Centre (PICCC) Greenhouse Accounting Framework (GAF) tools, ensuring it is accessible and relevant to local conditions.

Please register your interest with Southern Forest Food Councils Laura Bolitho at laura@southernforestsfood.com  

Soil Stories

Top Left: Bridget presenting to graziers in Bridgetown and Manypeaks (Photo: Jeisane Accioly); Bottom left: Bridget presenting to the FEAR Group at Moorine Rock (Photo: Erin Pope); Top and bottom right: Attendees at Merredin seeder set up workshop (Photos MADFIG);

Practical soil information at regional workshops

By Bridget Watkins, Regional Soil Coordinator

Over the past few weeks, Bridget Watkins has presented seasonally relevant soil insights at a series of regional workshops.

From seeder set up with MADFIG, to soil and plant nutrition with SoilsWest, and the Western Beef Leading the Herd series, participants explored soil constraints, nutrient management, DIY soil sampling, and practical strategies to support crop establishment and soil health. Key tools and resources were also highlighted to help apply this learning directly on-farm.

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. Read DPIRD's Season 2026 forecast.

Latest updates and advice

• The Bureau of Meteorology’s (BoM) seasonal outlook for April to June 2026 indicates a strong likelihood for below normal rainfall for most of WA. See the BoM’s seasonal outlook video for more details.

• 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.

Join the Impact Leadership Program — Apply by 6 April

Applications are open for the Impact Leadership Program ‘First Five’, delivered by the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation with support from the Future Drought Fund. Five fully funded places (valued at $12,000 each) are available in the Wheatbelt and Coastal and Inland Great Southern region, and cover immersive learning, travel and expert coaching. Apply by 6 April.

National Mentoring Initiative: 12 months of peer connection and support

Join 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 a range of grants currently available to regional communities. Here's a round-up of the programs that are currently open and accepting applications:

• Strengthening Rural Communities, which is open across two streams:
  • 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.
• In a Good Place, which offers grants up to $20,000 for community-driven initiatives that strengthen mental health and wellbeing.
• FRRR ABC Heywire Youth Innovation Grants to support issues identified at the 2026 Heyire Regional Youth Summit.
• Community Led Climate Solutions, which offers up to $20,000 grants to drive local climate solutions specific to local needs.

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

Future Drought Fund 2024–25 annual report released

The Future Drought Fund 2024–25 annual report is now available. The 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.