The latest news, events and opportunities from the SW WA Hub
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Welcome from the Director
Earlier this year, the South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub (SW WA Hub) initiated six transformational projects after opening a grant round to our Hub partners. These projects are investigating new and emerging systems, or significant modifications of current systems, that will lead to transformational change of agricultural practices to improve drought and climate resilience in WA.
This newsletter highlights a project by agtech company Whole, which uses nutrient extraction technology to convert potato waste into nutrient-rich feedstock. Whole is optimising and scaling up this technology to produce animal feed at a commercial level. This project will generate premium livestock feed and reduce carbon emissions by repurposing potato waste destined for landfill. Whole's technology holds promise for diverse applications beyond livestock feed.
To me, this project exemplifies how the SW WA Hub model not only accelerates innovation but also plays a crucial role in ensuring the agriculture industry thrives in the face of climate change. It demonstrates the power of sustainable practices in creating a resilient future for both our environment and our food systems.
Speaking of innovation, if you are a researcher, innovator or entrepreneur with a new idea for drought resilience, you might want to apply to be part of the Drought Venture Studio. Expressions of interest close on 12 July 2024. This is an initiative led by Beanstalk AgTech and funded by the Australian Government's Future Drought Fund.
The Hub has produced more resources to help farmers adapt to a changing climate, including content on profitable grazing systems, weather forecasting, financial literacy and virtual fencing. You will find links to our latest videos and podcasts below.
Please feel free to forward this newsletter to colleagues, friends or clients.
Mark Holland | Hub Director
South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub
Future Drought Fund - Next Phase Funding
Australian Government commits $519.1m to drought resilience programs
As our readers will be aware, the Australian government committed funding over the next eight years to continue the Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hubs model. This funding is part of $519.1 million from the Future Drought Fund (FDF) for initiatives that provide improved support to farmers and communities to manage drought and adapt to climate change.
The Hubs are one of many programs funded by the FDF. The Australian Government has committed funding to other exciting new and continuing programs, including:
- $60.3 million over 6 years from 2024-25 for two rounds of the Long-Term Trials program with expanded eligibility to test and generate evidence of prospective drought and climate resilience farming practices.
- $40 million over 6 years from 2024-25 for the Resilient Landscapes program to support projects to demonstrate how practices to manage natural resources contribute to building drought and climate resilience at scale, targeting opportunities for long-term transformational change.
- $37 million over 3 years from 2025-26 for the new Scaling Success program to scale up projects previously funded by the FDF with proven drought or climate resilience outcomes.
- $20 million over 3 years from 2025-26 for the Innovation Challenges Pilot to call for innovative solutions to address complex and multi-dimensional challenges, defined by industry experts, which are imposed by drought and climate impacts on a region, industry or sector.
- $15 million over 4 years from 2024-25 to establish a $12 million pilot program to facilitate place-based and First Nations-led activities, and $3 million dedicated funding to support activities that seek to improve participation of First Nations peoples in FDF drought and climate resilience activities. Additional departmental funding will establish a First Nations Advisory Group to advise on issues relating to drought and climate resilience.
Visit the Future Drought Fund website for the full list of funded programs.
Dry Season Resources
Dry Season Resources podcast
Listen to the SW WA Hub's Dry Season Resources podcast on the Hub website and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
Your weather questions answered
Meredith Guthrie, from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), and Michaela Alexander, from the Bureau of Meteorology, highlight several tools that farmers can use to better understand weather forecasts, explaining their strengths and practical applications.
Profitable grazing systems to manage drought in the Southern Rangelands
DPIRD economists, Brad Plunkett and Christophe D’Abbadie, have conducted extensive research on profitable and sustainable rangeland management systems in WA and the NT. In this episode, they share strategies for managing consecutive drought years effectively.
'Dry Season Shorts' video series
In the SW WA Hub’s Dry Season Shorts video series, industry professionals and farmers reflect on practices they put in place to deal with dry conditions.
Check out our latest videos:
- How polymers contribute to sodic soil crop yields | David Hall, DPIRD Principal Research Scientist
- Virtual fencing provides productivity gains from strip grazing in broadacre farming | Simon Fowler, mixed farmer
- Enhancing financial literacy for young farmers | Renae Piggott, financial consultant
Benefits and practical reasons for not applying nitrogen fertiliser on heavy country | Mick Caughey, grain grower
Hub Projects in Focus
Transforming potato waste into nutrient-rich feedstock
Agtech company Whole is using a zero waste, enhanced nutrient extraction technology to turn potato waste into feedstock as part of a transformational project with the SW WA Hub.
The primary goal of this project is to offer a novel, highly nutritious animal feed to replace or complement existing grain feed.
This innovation is also helping reduce carbon emissions by improving production efficiencies and using food waste that would otherwise contribute to landfill.
Earlier this month, Whole CEO Nick Stamatiou gave Hub Director Mark Holland and Project Manager Lucy Tomassini a tour of the facilities. They are pictured above next to Whole's WINX processor, which is used to convert food waste into a liquid product with enhanced nutrient bioavailability.
Satellite technology enhances grazing management in WA and the NT
A cross-Hub project has advanced nutritional feed base mapping technology in Western Australia and the Northern Territory, assisting pastoralists in managing grazing and stocking rates.
Recently, Rory De Pledge (Koordarrie Station), Kristy Bremer (Gascoyne Catchments Group), Sarah Jeffery (Rangelands NRM, Regional Hub Node Lead), and Jodie McTaggart (Bidgemia Station) caught up at Koordarrie Station to ground truth satellite images by identifying vegetation species and density.
In the initial phase of the project, 17 pastoralists from ten stations were trained to identify pasture species and other key indicators of livestock nutrition and rangeland ecology specific to their stations. The Northern Hub then funded an extension of the project to include five more stations in the Pilbara and Kimberley regions, including Koordarrie Station.
This project was undertaken by Rangelands NRM with support from the Northern and South-West WA Hubs, through funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.
Drought Hub Team Out and About
L-R: Steve McGuire (Kojonup farmer and WA Farmers vice-president), Hub Adoption Manager Julianne Hill (SW WA Hub), Laura Butler (Narembeen farmer and AgConnectWA executive member). Photo: Amber Balfour-Cunningham
Drought Hub engages young farmers at AgConnectWA Forum
Hub Adoption Manager Julianne Hill recently attended the annual AgConnectWA Forum in Northam. This event provided a fantastic opportunity to connect with the younger generation in agriculture and gain insights into the major challenges and opportunities impacting their farming businesses and rural communities.
AgConnectWA aims to engage, connect, represent, educate, listen, advocate, and support young people in the agricultural industry and communities. These goals were clearly evident at the forum. Understanding the issues faced by all producers is crucial for the SW WA Hub, and this event was a valuable chance to interact with the younger demographic.
Julianne presented information on the SW WA Hub, including projections of the warming and drying climate and its potential impact on WA. She also gathered feedback from attendees to help develop resources that will help farmers adapt to the changing climate. Key themes raised included risk management, resilience, financial planning, live export, technology options, mental health support, government policy, and water and feed conservation.
AgConnectWA President Sophie Wooldridge and her team did a fantastic job organising the event. We encourage everyone under the age of 35 to take the opportunity to connect with AgConnectWA.
Manjimup farmers looking to enhance on-farm water security
On June 13, Hub Project Manager KJ Pritchard and Adoption Officer Theo Nabben presented to more than 50 Southern Forests farmers and industry stakeholders at a sundowner event in Manjimup. They highlighted the benefits of the Modern Soil Moisture Monitoring project, which included a trial site in the Manjimup area. They also discussed the WaterSmart Dams project and other initiatives focused on water-efficient practices.
Farmers in the region have been grappling with a dry spring and hotter-than-average autumn temperatures. In response, the State Government has announced the Southern Forests Infrastructure Support Scheme, offering funding for horticulture producers to implement water infrastructure projects and improve water security on their farms.
The Southern Forests Food Council, a Hub Regional Node Lead, organised the sundowner to inform local growers about this critical government funding for water infrastructure and drought relief.
The event was supported by the Grower Group Alliance Dry Season Response Initiative, through funding from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.
L-R: Katie Johnston (Engagement Officer, Future Drought Fund), Jessica Scholle (Stakeholder and Communications Manager, SW WA Hub), Erin Byles (Media and Communications Manager, SQNNSW Hub), Kylie Dunstan (Communications and Engagement Manager, SNSW Hub), Emily Harrington (Communications Advisor, TNQ Hub)
Insights from Public Sector Comms Week
Last week, Hub Stakeholder and Communications Manager, Jessica Scholle, attended the Public Sector Comms Week in Canberra alongside fellow Hub communications managers. This event provided a fantastic opportunity to learn from both Australian and international speakers on how to craft clear and impactful communication strategies.
A particularly insightful presentation focused on the effective use of artificial intelligence (AI) in communications. A quick poll revealed that most attendees were concerned about the rise of AI. The presenter addressed these concerns, stating, "AI will not take over your jobs. The person who knows how to use it will." He encouraged communication professionals to embrace AI tools and learn to maximise their benefits, and presented practical examples from his work.
Additionally, the trip to Canberra allowed for a face-to-face meeting with the Engagement team from the Future Drought Fund, facilitating a valuable information and planning session.
South-West NRM highlights local dry season management strategies
Peter Clifton, Program Manager at South-West NRM, recently met with Tim Bending, a beef farmer from Coolup, as part of his role as a Hub Regional Node Lead. Peter is gathering stories from producers in the South-West region to share their insights and experiences.
Tim discussed the advantages of calving later in the season and using perennials to make the most of early feed value, which helps manage variable and dry seasons. He also shared his strategy of stocking up on hay before summer and reducing stock numbers early to prepare for dry conditions.
South-West NRM is one of eight Hub Regional Node Leads, who play a crucial role in connecting the Hub to end users. They gather and share valuable knowledge, coordinate local activities, and support Hub initiatives to benefit the farming community.
Have Your Say
Participate in Farm to Port survey
Grain growers are encouraged to complete a survey that will assist research aimed at optimising grain supply chains.
The ‘Farm to Port’ study is led by The University of WA and supported by the SW WA Hub through its student bursary program.
UWA PhD student Garima, who recently received an extension and adoption bursary from the SW WA Hub, said the aim of the study was to produce a framework, based on simulations, that could assist growers to optimise decisions during and after harvest.
“This could include decisions relating to transportation, storage, packaging and marketing of crops,” she said.
Relevant News, Events and Resources
Decommissioning of the Drought Resilience Self assessment Tool (DR. SAT)
On 24 June 2024, the Drought Resilience Self-Assessment Tool (DR.SAT) was decommissioned.
In line with recommendations from the recent Productivity Commission Inquiry Report into the effectiveness of the Future Drought Fund (FDF), the Australian Government has made the decision to decommission DR.SAT.
DR.SAT was funded under the Better Climate Information theme of the FDF, alongside the Climate Services for Agriculture (CSA) program. The Productivity Commission found similarities between the two tools, including the provision of historical climate data and projections at the farm scale.
On 26 October 2023, the Australian Government announced $17.7 million from the FDF to action key recommendations from the Productivity Commission Inquiry. This included short term funding to continue the CSA program while considering future offerings. Part of this work will include investigating elements of DR.SAT that could be incorporated into the CSA platform – My Climate View. The investigation will commence over the coming months.
Have your say about My Climate View
If have heard about, accessed or used My Climate View, you are invited to provide your feedback about the tool.
The tool was built from input from growers and advisors over the past couple of years, so feedback from industry is critical to ensuring the continual improvement of the tool.
Your views will help the My Climate View team understand how the tool is meeting your sector’s climate related decision-making needs – and what else might be needed in the future.
New website shares science and soil management insights for agriculture
The Soil Quality Knowledge Base website launched earlier this month. It compiles hundreds of resources for effective management and conservation of soil in agriculture and natural resource management contexts to meet current and future needs.
The Soil Quality Knowledge Base represents the most recent soil resource developed for industry by SoilsWest. SoilsWest is a formal alliance between Murdoch University and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development in soil science. SoilsWest receives support from partnering research and education organisations, including the SW WA Hub.
Apply to be part of the Drought Venture Studio
Australian innovators with new ideas for drought resilience are invited to apply to be part of the Drought Venture Studio.
The Future Drought Fund (FDF) recently announced Beanstalk Agtech as their delivery partner for the Drought Resilience Commercialisation Initiative (the Initiative), which will be delivered via their Drought Venture Studio.
As part of the Initiative, applications for innovators with research, IP or a revolutionary new idea to increase drought resilience are now open.
Successful innovators will receive hands-on commercialisation support and the opportunity to be one of 8 startups matched with an experienced Co-Founder for commercialisation and launch of a new drought resilience product or service.
Applications close on 12 July 2024.
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.
