From the Director
As I have been writing this month’s column, our weather has played absolute havoc across the state.
We’ve seen many confronting visuals of towns and homes being flooded in Western Queensland and the gut-wrenching loss of livestock.
The stories of heartache and hardship are coming thick and fast, but the people of Western Queensland will want us to remember their strength and resilience, their never-say-die attitude, their mateship and community spirit. They ask for a hand-up, but never a hand-out.
The way that people can swing into action during such adversity is amazing. People across Western Queensland are already organising a ball in Brisbane to raise funds to support the recovery process. Another group has established a Western Queensland Flood Relief to coordinate vouchers and supplies to get immediate financial support where it is needed. There have been truckies from the south-east battling the odds to deliver donated hay to help feed flood-trapped sheep, cattle and goats. And let’s not forget the incredible chopper pilots who are working non-stop to help move stock to higher ground, sling hay to trapped stock, drop off essential food and medical supplies, and casually perform the occasional roof-top rescue.
Many organisations that are in there providing direct help and support started as grass-roots groups. Farm Angels, Blaze Aid, and Rural Aid and the Western Queensland Drought Appeal are just some examples of groups that started out with people in their own communities wanting to help.
Some organisations may be Queensland, Australian or even Internationally based, but rely on (and support) local volunteers to do what’s needed—the SES, CWA, Lions, Rotary—are all in there doing what they do best because they are part of the community.
Local Disaster Management Groups lead and coordinate the immediate response and the longer-term recovery – all led by local Mayors and community leaders, but supported by Local, State and Australian Governments. These groups respond to community needs and commit to the long-haul of funding the recovery. The Politicians who have visited—I believe—are doing it because they care, and they want to support farmers, graziers, people and communities.
Similar inspirational stories of community spirit, mateship and incredible tenacity and strength in the face of adversity also came out of the 2019 and 2023 floods across the Gulf, and the extreme weather across our coastal communities in 2024 and 2025.
When we get it right—when we all work together—is when we build resilience. What we’re witnessing right now—and through years of drought, cyclones and bushfires—is strong, resilient people and communities getting even better at it. When I talk about building better resilience, this is what I mean.
To everyone who is doing the best you can when the force of nature seems too much, I want you to know that you are incredible, amazing and inspiring. You might not feel like it just now, but you really are.
Until next time, keep safe and well.
David Phelps
Director
Hub Highlight - Future Activity Planning Workshop
In early March the TNQ Drought Hub hosted a collaborative, co-design workshop to plan for the future of the hub within the TNQ region.
The productiveness and passion at the workshop was a testament to the value the industry sees in us and our collective mission for leading a regional and collaborative approach to building drought and climate resilience.
While we experienced the thought-provoking and challenging moments that come with change, we are incredibly excited for what the future brings.
Our co-design process has included industry and stakeholder engagement over the last 18 months and has culminated in defining six resilience outcomes that we seek to achieve by 2032. These outcomes aim to contribute to resilience across Social & Cultural, Economic, and Environment Pillars (below).
We would like to express our sincere thank you and appreciation to all those who joined us.
Drought Resilience in Action
EOI: Improving Land Condition in Northwest Queensland to boost Productivity, Climate Resilience and Biodiversity
Southern Gulf NRM and Gulf Savannah NRM are seeking Expressions of Interest for the Partnerships and Innovation Project, funded by the Climate-Smart Agriculture Program.
Spanning 90,000 hectares across 18 properties, this project supports sustainable agriculture with tailored management plans, financial incentives, and expert training to enhance productivity, resilience, and biodiversity.
Interested in joining? Contact:
- Southern Gulf NRM: Cari Stocker, 0409571722, cari.stocker@southerngulf.com.a
- Gulf Savannah NRM: Julie Nicolosi, 07 4092 1088, julie.nicolosi@gulfsavannahnrm.org
REGISTER NOW: ARLF Changemaker Workshops coming to Clermont, Mackay, Collinsville and Charters Towers, May
Are you passionate about your community? Do you want to make change happen in your community?
Join the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation for a two-day Changemaker Workshop at:
Clermont – 12-13 May
Mackay – 15-16 May
Collinsville – 19-20 May
Charters Towers – 22-23 May
Explore how change happens, practise how to adapt to change and how to overcome resistance.
Understand the local ecosystem; undertake purposeful and inclusive engagement; step into informed and authentic conversations.
Explore ideas to shape the future you would like to see for your community.
REGISTER NOW: Governance Essentials, Online, starting 4 June
Join the TNQ Drought Hub and Get on Board Australia for an engaging and practical online Governance Essentials course.
Perfect for individuals working with or wanting to be involved with community groups, this course dives into the principles of governance, your duties and responsibilities, ethical decision-making, and the skills to lead with confidence.
Date: Wednesday 4 June – Wednesday 13 August
Duration: 6 sessions over 10 weeks
Time: 12:15pm – 1:00pm (AEST)
Where: Online (blended self-paced learning with short recap sessions)
Cost: $150 (valued at $250, subsidised by the TNQ Drought Hub)
Agtech Insights
Read the latest edition of Agtech insights where we look into:
- Queensland’s 25 year Agricultural Blueprint
- Starlink and Telstra partner to bring satellite texting to rural Australia
- $20M boost for on-farm connectivity
- Towards Net Zero Agriculture Pathfinder
- plus more
Get Involved
- Apply: Financial assistance for primary producers. Financial recovery assistance is now available for primary producers impacted by high rainfall and flooding in Queensland. Assistance includes: Disaster Assistance Loans up to $250,000, Essential Working Capital Loans up to $100,000, Freight subsidies of up to $5,000. Find out more.
- Survey: Queensland DPI Agriculture Disaster Impact Survey. Primary producers affected by high rainfall and flooding in northern Queensland can report damage or losses via the Disaster Impact Survey. Reports help determine if additional assistance is needed to support our industries’ recovery needs. Complete the survey.
- Apply: FRRR ABC Heywire Youth Innovation grants. This program helps communities take action on ideas generated by young Australians on issues that matter to remote, rural and regional youth. The Heywire Project Ideas are developed annually at the Heywire Youth Summit in Canberra. Find out more.
- Apply: First Nations Business Acceleration Program. This Program is for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander innovative businesses in Queensland who are established and looking to scale. Find out more.
- Apply: 2026 Nuffield Australia Scholarship. The Nuffield program opens doors to exciting and rewarding experiences. Whether it’s walking the halls of Westminster or Washington DC, or touring a leading wheat and maize research facility in Mexico, a scholarship presents a career defining opportunity. Find out more.
- Apply: TRC Environment Grants. Environment Grants of up to $2000 are available for activities that contribute to a valued, managed and healthy environment. Find out more.
Where applicable, we can provide Letters of Support to assist with your applications. Email tnqhub@jcu.edu.au with details of your application and how it applies to future drought resilience.
To find more grants available in the TNQ region, visit the following organisations.
- Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal
- RDA Townsville and North West Queensland Grant Finder
- RDA Tropical North Grants
- Greater Whitsunday Grant Finder
TNQ Drought Hub has worked with our NRM Node and industry partners to develop regional priorities. These are a useful resource when writing grant applications.
Upcoming Events
Check out our Events calendar to see what’s happing in the agricultural industry around Tropical North Queensland and throughout the country. Some upcoming events to keep an eye out on are;
- Northern Australia Food Futures Conference, 8 – 9 April, Darwin
- 2025 ASSCT Annual Conference, 28 April – 2 May, Brisbane
- Sugar Cubed 2025, 27 – 29 April, Brisbane
- ARLF Changemaker Workshop, 29 – 30 April, Kingaroy
- Central Queensland Regional Brain Reset Tour, May – June, Rockhampton, Gladstone, Moura, Roma
- ARLF Changemaker Workshop, 7 – 8 May, Winton
- Western Cape Futures Symposium, 7 – 8 May, Weipa
- ARLF Changemaker Workshop, 12 – 13 May, Clermont
Resources
Cattle Comfort Index Forecast (CCI) is a new tool released by the Northern Australian Climate Program to monitor cattle condition during hot and cold weather.
The “Cattle Comfort in Northern Australia – Managing Heat & Cold Stress” webinar explores how this tool and others can help anticipate and manage these stressors on cattle.
TNQ Drought Hub Node Partners
