The latest news, events and opportunities from the SW WA Hub
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September 2026
Welcome from the Innovation Manager
Welcome to the September edition of the South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub newsletter.
While Tanya Kilminster is on leave, I’m stepping in as Acting Hub Director and have enjoyed seeing the range of research, innovation and practical ideas the Hub has supported this month.
One highlight is our latest bursary recipients, four PhD students who will take their research beyond the university campus and into WA farming communities. From livestock heat stress and cattle grazing behaviour to native seed establishment and edible shelters for lambs, their projects are tackling real climate resilience challenges and building connections between researchers and producers.
Our Transformational Program has wrapped up after supporting six projects exploring everything from water-harvesting polymers and renewable energy to Aboriginal agricultural methods and farm dam emissions. Some of these ideas are now attracting further investment, showing what targeted seed funding can help achieve.
Our team has also been out and about, gathering insights from the Agronomy Australia Conference, WA Horticulture Science Forum and Australian Precision Agriculture Symposium.
Across all three events, a common theme was the importance of practical, locally relevant solutions, and of connecting research with the people who can put it into practice.
There’s plenty more to explore in this month’s newsletter, including an opportunity to see new approaches to managing agrifood wastewater at the PropaGATE Innovator Showcase on 22 October.
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,
Doug Hamilton | Innovation Manager
South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub
Dry Season Resources
Dry Season Resources podcast
We're taking a short break from the podcast, but we'll be back soon with more episodes packed with tips to help producers manage dry seasons. In the meantime, we invite you to revisit some of our most popular episodes.
Subscribe to the Dry Season Resources podcast on your favourite podcast platform so you never miss an episode.
How regional communities can stay ahead of the renewable energy curve
Renewable energy is knocking on WA’s farm gates. Should you open the door? This episode, produced by Farmanco, features Shire of West Arthur CEO Vin Fordham-Lamont and Deputy Shire President Karen Harrington, who discuss how communities can prepare for – and benefit from – the renewable energy rollout.
Understanding and managing non-wetting soils
Non-wetting soils create a major constraint to agricultural production in southern Australia, and this issue can be exacerbated by long dry spells. Professor David Henry, Murdoch University, and Dr Maria Pfeifle, DPIRD, unpack what soil water repellency is and how to manage this persistent challenge.
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
Backing the next generation of researchers to build drought-resilient farms
Four emerging agricultural researchers will take their university studies beyond the campus and into Western Australian farming communities as part of the Hub's bursary program.
The PhD students will gain firsthand experience of the challenges growers face as they work to make agriculture more resilient to a drying, warming and increasingly more variable climate.
Whitney Payne, The University of Western Australia (UWA), will work with Wyloo Station to research strategies to improve reproductive outcomes of livestock undergoing heat stress in Western Australia’s rangelands.
Oscar Jones, ARC Training Centre for Healing Country at Curtin University, is evaluating whether broadacre seeding machinery could be used as an alternative direct-seeding method for native seed mixes for on-farm revegetation in the Wheatbelt.
Montana Walsh Baddeley, UWA, is working to understand how genetics and grazing behaviour influence body composition in WA rangelands beef cattle, especially during times of drought.
Georgia Welsh, Murdoch University, is investigating how forage shrubs and cereal crops can be used as both shelter and feed during lambing to improve lamb survival, animal welfare and whole-farm resilience in mixed farming systems.
The students can use the funds to work with Western Australian grower groups and industry, develop participatory research, produce extension resources, and attend or present at workshops, field days, or conferences.
Hub Projects in Focus
Transformational program: pathways towards resilience in Western Australia
The Hub’s Transformational Program funded six innovative projects, which reflected the Future Drought Fund’s recognition that true resilience requires not just incremental improvements but systemic, transformational shifts.
The projects explored water-harvesting polymers, renewable energy opportunities, circular economy, natural capital, Aboriginal agricultural methods, and farm dam emissions.
The program also demonstrated the value of targeted seed funding to catalyse longer-term investment and impact.
Several projects have progressed beyond the initial Hub investment, including Murdoch University's SMART SPRAYS project, which attracted subsequent investment from the Grains Research and Development Corporation.
PropaGATE Innovator Showcase: managing agrifood wastewater – 22 October
Is wastewater management a cost and compliance headache for your agrifood business? If your answer is yes, the PropaGATE Innovator Showcase is for you.
PropaGATE is bringing five businesses to Western Australia to demonstrate how they're tackling one of the meat processing industry's hardest problems: managing high-strength wastewater.
You’ll also see how one innovative technology is already making a difference in the brewing industry, with a tour of the Hydroleap plant at Spinifex Brewing Co. The plant is currently treating wastewater at the brewery and was installed through the first PropaGATE-supported trial.
Whether you're in meat processing, brewing, rendering or wider food and beverage production, if wastewater is a challenge for you, come and see what’s possible.
Date: Thursday 22 October 2026
Time: 5.00 pm – 8.00 pm
Location: Food Innovation Precinct Western Australia, Stake Hill WA (free bus transfer from Fremantle Train Station, 4:30pm)
Cost: Free
Field Notes
Diversity as the future of farming: insights from the Agronomy Australia Conference
A key theme from the 2026 Agronomy Australia Conference, held in Darwin last month, was that diversified cropping systems outperform simplified rotations, particularly where rainfall variability is increasing.
Diversification and flexibility can help spread risk across different seasonal conditions. Research presented at the conference showed how choosing crops based on expected water availability, including more lentils in rotations, and making flexible nitrogen decisions can improve outcomes across wet and dry seasons.
A field trip also showed how Northern Territory growers are using crop rotations, cover crops and other practices to match production systems to local conditions.
Read the full article to explore the research and what it could mean for WA farming systems.
Precision agriculture that’s ready to work
Every precision ag event comes with its share of shiny prototypes. But at this year’s Australian Precision Agriculture Symposium, Innovation Manager Doug Hamilton found that some of the most useful ideas were technologies already being used successfully on farms.
From autonomous machinery helping businesses get jobs done on time, to variable rate technology making better use of existing paddock data, the focus was on tools that can deliver practical value now.
Virtual fencing also stood out as an option for mixed farms, allowing livestock to graze areas that aren’t suited to cropping, such as waterways, timbered country and creek lines.
But adopting technology isn’t just about buying a new tool. Planning, reliable connectivity, clean data, local evidence and trusted advice all play a role.
Read Doug’s reflections from the symposium and explore what precision agriculture could offer WA producers.
Industry panel at the WA Horticulture Science Forum 2026. Photo: WAARC
Insights from the inaugural WA Horticulture Science Forum
Increasing climate variability and other associated challenges, such as new pests and diseases, are creating new challenges for WA’s horticulture industry.
At the same time, researchers are developing practical insights to help growers respond and adapt.
The inaugural WA Horticulture Science Forum, held in Bunbury in August, brought together researchers, industry groups and extension providers to share current research and explore how it can reach growers.
Climate variability was a key theme across projects exploring everything from genetics and breeding to water use, pest management and pollination.
In this event summary, Data Analysis and Extension Officer Cassie Howell highlights some of the research most relevant to WA growers, as well as the important role of extension in turning research findings into practical action.
Soil Stories
Soil pit presentation at the West Midlands Group Spring Field Day. Photo: Bridget Watkins
Soil features at spring field days
By Bridget Watkins, Regional Soil Coordinator
The Spring Field Day season has been in full swing, with soil taking centre stage at events across the growing region. From research updates to practical discussions in the paddock, there has been plenty happening.
Read some of the soil highlights from around the regions in recent weeks, including:
- Micronised lime for the treatment of acidity throughout the soil profile
- Benefits of spreading a gravel mulch to enhance soil moisture retention
- Influence of soil pH on nutrient availability in grazing systems
- Role of controlled traffic farming in maintaining the gains achieved through strategic tillage
- Launch of the National Soil Education Opportunity project
- And more!
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
- For the south west land division, the seasonal climate outlook for spring, September to November 2026 indicates below median rainfall and higher temperatures. For the remainder of the state, spring rainfall outlook is for wetter-than-normal with warmer temperatures.
- Explore DPIRD’s rainfall, soil water and seasonal climate tools to understand the outlook for your location.
- Tune in to the latest Grains Convo podcast episode on Weathering the finish – WA’s seasonal outlook with Dr Meredith Guthrie.
Update of BOM drought information and rainfall deficiencies map
The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has improved its drought information website page to provide higher-resolution map views and additional mapped information, making it easier to view details on water resources when rainfall is low.
The new drought information brings together details about rainfall deficiencies and water availability in one easy-to-use tool.
It provides a clearer signal about drought risk to support resource planning and preparedness activities.
Wheatbelt Regional Drought Resilience Plan sets roadmap for the future
Wheatbelt communities have a new long-term roadmap to strengthen drought preparedness and resilience, following the finalisation of the Wheatbelt Regional Drought Resilience Plan.
Led by the Wheatbelt Development Commission, a Hub consortium partner, the plan identifies more than 30 priority actions to strengthen water security, support agriculture, build resilient communities and protect the natural environment across the Wheatbelt.
The initiative is jointly funded by the Australian Government's Future Drought Fund and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.
New resource library to support drought resilience in the Rangelands
The Gascoyne Pilbara Rangelands Initiative (GPRI) has developed a Drought Resources page as part of the Planning for Resilience project, supported by the Northern Hub, bringing together more than 100 tools, reports, case studies, training resources and practical guides to support pastoral businesses across the rangelands.
The library includes resources on business management, climate and weather, landscape function, livestock management and people wellbeing, with a focus on supporting practical decision making before, during and after dry periods.
Although these resources were compiled to support pastoralists in the northern rangelands, many will be relevant to WA's southern rangelands enterprises.
Locally Relevant News from the Future Drought Fund
Meet the 2027 Nuffield Drought Resilience Scholars
Five agricultural leaders from across Australia are undertaking research to explore practical ways to strengthen drought resilience, adapt to changing conditions and support regional communities.
The 2027 Drought Resilience Scholars are supported through the Future Drought Fund’s Drought Resilience Scholarship Program, delivered in partnership with Nuffield Australia.
Meet the 2027 Drought Resilience Scholars:
- Angus Smith from South Australia will look at how livestock businesses recover after drought and build strength for the next dry period
- Ellenor Nixon from New South Wales will explore how farms can balance productive agriculture with conservation outcomes.
- Kristen Clark from New South Wales will investigate how artificial intelligence can support better decision-making in dairy businesses before, during and after drought.
- Lucy Etheridge from Victoria will research how farmers can understand and use natural capital assets during difficult seasons.
- Ivan Blacket from Victoria will investigate agroforestry practices that support sustainability, biodiversity and community resilience.
As part of the program, scholars will undertake domestic and international study, build industry networks and share their findings with farmers, industry and communities.
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.
