Northern NSW knows all too well the economic, social and environmental fallout of drought. Which positions UNE perfectly to contribute to a new initiative designed to build farm, business and community resilience to withstand future dry spells.
The $2 million Armidale Node of the Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub (Drought Hub) for southern Queensland and northern NSW opened in late February and our team is already working to develop solutions. In fact, it’s a very home-grown affair.
Node Manager Lu Hogan completed a Graduate Certificate in Agricultural Consulting at UNE in 2014 (after completing her undergraduate studies at the University of Melbourne) and several of the people she’s now partnering with, across nine organisations, also come from the UNE “stable”. Lu’s now inviting other alumni to engage with the node and its important work.
“We will benefit from the hands-on drought experiences of our partners, as producers or service providers to industry, but also UNE’s research capacity and collaborations in this space,” she said. “It’s a combined effort to future-fit the region, and to integrate drought resilience into teaching as well as practical land management.”
Researchers from UNE’s schools of Environmental and Rural Science, Business, and Rural Medicine and Health will work closely with the node’s nine partners to deliver training and other resources. These partners include Central West Farming Systems, GLENRAC Inc, Rural Aid, the Murray Darling Association, Southern Australia Livestock Research Council, Meridian Agriculture, Agripath, Resource Consulting Services and Bush Agribusiness.
Lu said the node will investigate and address the financial, environmental and human wellbeing aspects of drought to help our rural and regional communities to grow their resilience. It promises to deliver economic, environmental personal and community-wide benefits.
“We will be delivering new tools, technologies and skills to help rural communities to remain viable under conditions of drought and climate variability,” Lu said. “This kicks off in the first week in April, when, in collaboration with the SMART Region Incubator, we will deliver three showcase events for farmers in Armidale, Moree and Narrabri to highlight what commercial agri-tech is available to manage climatic fluctuations.”
The Armidale node is part of the broader Drought Hub, led by Professor John McVeigh from the University of Southern Queensland, which has secured $10 million in funding from the Federal Government’s $5 billion Future Drought Fund. Funding of $2 million for the UNE-led node recognises the size and diversity of our region.
While the past two years may have been favourable, the scars of drought remain and more droughts and extreme weather events undoubtedly lie ahead. “We need to increase our capacity to prepare for and manage drought’s impacts on agricultural supply chains, and learn how to better support the health of natural assets like soils, vegetation and waterways,” Lu said. “At the same time as improving our financial resilience, we need to preserve our human wellbeing.”
Results of the node’s investigations will be folded into UNE’s teaching curriculum to enhance the ability of the next generation of farmers and business owners.
In the meantime, Lu said the team is very reliant on communities “telling us what they need, to shape our activities”. “I welcome contact from any alumni or community members keen to participate,” she said. Lu can be contacted at lhogan22@une.edu.au
Another important UNE environmental initiative is engaging a slightly younger group of locals.
UNE’s SMART Region Incubator (UNE SRI) Scorched program is giving young people in the Armidale Local Government Area (LGA) the chance to explore innovative ways of building business and economic resilience to the challenges posed by climate extremes, with a particular emphasis on mitigating bushfire and aiding recovery.
UNE’s SMART Region Incubator (UNE SRI) Scorched program
Launched last September, Scorched has already hosted several ideation events and a CleanTech Futures Series to discuss fire-resistant housing as it builds its network of stakeholders. Ideas for using the creative arts and gamification to educate people about bushfire resilience and preparedness are emerging, and some are entering the next stage of business development. It will all culminate in a public pitching event in October.
In early April, a two-day Scorched Innovation Challenge for 15-18-year-olds will build solutions to challenges with guidance from Adam Mostogl, Young Tasmanian Entrepreneur of the Year.
Project Coordinator, UNE SRI Startup Activator and alumna Sewa Emojong, said Scorched is open to individuals, schools, volunteer organisations, community groups and businesses. “Once formulated, participants are supported to develop their ideas into full-blown business propositions with the help of expert coaching,” she said.
To learn more or become involved, contact Sewa at sewa.emojong@une.edu.au or check out the UNE SRI website for more details - https://www.unesri.com.au/scorched
