Building a Drought-Ready Future
Published on 24 April 2024
Building a Drought-Ready Future: Wingecarribee & Goulburn Mulwaree Councils Secure Funding for Regional Resilience Plan
Wingecarribee Shire Council, in collaboration with Goulburn Mulwaree Council, has secured grant funding from the Regional Drought Resilience Planning program. This joint initiative by the Australian and NSW Governments, funded by the Future Drought Fund, will support the development of a comprehensive Regional Drought Resilience Plan.
The program supports identified regions in NSW to develop regional drought resilience plans that can be implemented by councils and their communities to manage future risks. The objective of these plans is to come up with practical solutions to support communities to prepare for and respond to drought.
“This announcement brings a sense of optimism to our region, offering the potential to enhance our community's resilience in response to the increasingly erratic weather patterns we're encountering said Corinne Buxton, Coordinator Community Development.
Operating collaboratively as a consortium, the councils have enlisted the expertise of Rhelm Consultants to prepare the draft. The draft plan is slated for submission to the CSIRO in late May 2024, where it will undergo a thorough review.
Community Engagement: We want to hear from you.
“Community input is fundamental to shaping the Regional Drought Resilience Plan. As such, Council will embark on an extensive consultation process to delve into our region's susceptibility to drought and to harness the invaluable insights within our industries and communities.” said Corinne Buxton, Coordinator Community Development
Empowering Communities for a Resilient Future
The timing of this funding couldn't be more opportune, given the persistent unpredictability of drought and its far-reaching repercussions on our communities. By
fostering resilience and equipping regional communities with the tools to plan and act proactively against drought risks, this plan will yield tangible actions and outcomes.
Your Participation Matters
We invite you to provide your critical perspective and experience on the impacts of drought and to help shape the key themes and outcomes of this plan. You can contribute to the development of the plan by completing our survey, which takes approximately 7-10 minutes to finish. The survey will remain open for feedback until Sunday, 19 May, 2024.
Additionally, for those interested in further involvement, we extend an invitation to participate in community focus group meetings in May 2024. Express your interest through the survey's Expression of Interest (EOI) process, which will remain open until Sunday, April 28th, 2024.
Survey Link: Wingecarribee & Mulwaree Survey Link
Regional Drought Resilience plans will be provided to CSIRO for independent review, and completed plans from across the country will be published on the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry website later this year:
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry