From the Director
From our very initial set up, the hubs were designed to be a connecting piece between communities, government, universities and industry organisations. With that in mind, I am delighted to introduce our new Knowledge Broker, Karen George.
Karen has spent over 20 years working in the resilience space. She started with Property Management Plans and rural and regional leadership capacity though the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries working with graziers in Western Queensland, and has just come from delivering the Future Drought Fund Farm Business Resilience Program for the horticulture industry in Queensland, working with QFVG Growcom.
Karen’s industry knowledge will be invaluable in our work moving forward in translating science into practice for our region. Please reach out to Karen or myself if you have any questions about the hub and our activities. You can also see what we have been up to through our Latest News.
With funding committed for the Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hubs until 2032, we are moving forward in our future planning and purpose for building resilience across our region. The review of all the eight hubs and their work to date so far will help provide guidance for this future strategy and we welcome the Governments review to ensure we are addressing the challenges our farmers face.
Until next time, keep safe and well.
David Phelps
Director
Hub Highlight - Continued funding for Soil Health
Key takeaways
- The Australian Government has committed $6.26 million to continue the national network of Regional Soils Coordinators for four years
- Soil health is central to addressing food security and climate change issues
- Dhiraj Gajera is the Regional Soils Coordinator for the TNQ Drought Hub region (dhiraj.gajera@jcu.edu.au or 0424 018 003)
The eight Australian Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hubs have welcomed the Australian Government’s announcement of grant funded soil health projects through the National Heritage Trust’s $302.1 million Climate-Smart Agriculture Program. This includes a vital $6.26 million investment to sustain our national network of eight Regional Soils Coordinators, including TNQ Drought Hub’s Dhiraj Gajera.
Dhiraj has been instrumental in promoting soil health in our TNQ region. Working tirelessly with consultants, natural resource management groups, farmer groups, and individual farmers, his efforts help our agricultural community understand how healthy soils not only boost productivity but also enhance sustainability and drought resilience.
Dhiraj Gajera, said the funding will enable them to build on the work they have started across the regions to promote soil health and its critical role in agricultural productivity and sustainability.
“Our role as Regional Soils Coordinators is to look after the soils because, globally, we face two major challenges: food security and climate change. Soil health is central to addressing these issues.
“We shouldn’t forget that ninety-five per cent of our food comes from the soil and soil organisms, not from the supermarket.”
We’re grateful to the Australian Government for this significant investment to enable us to continue to work together towards a more resilient and sustainable agricultural sector.
TNQ Drought Hub in Action
Building Water Security in Remote TNQ Communities
Our Agricultural Innovation and Commercialisation Program Lead, Tony Matchett, is supporting water security initiatives across remote regions of TNQ. By connecting with organisations that develop atmospheric water generators, Tony is working to ensure that isolated communities have access to reliable water sources.
Atmospheric water generators are innovative machines that extract humidity from the air and convert it into water. Tony has been able to access several types of these generators—both solar and electric-powered—some of which are mounted on portable trailers for easy demonstration across the TNQ region.
Spotlight on Digital Innovation at GroWQ Innovation Expo
Our Knowledge Adoption Officer, Carrie-Ann Wilson, was invited to present at the 2024 GroWQ Innovation Expo in Longreach last month, where she highlighted the innovative digital resilience tools being developed by the TNQ Drought Hub in collaboration with JCU – AgValuate and BeefVantage.
Carrie emphasised the crucial role these digital tools play in modern agriculture, explaining, “Developing digital tools for agricultural extension that are easily accessible online is vital. However, it’s equally important to pair these tools with human expertise to support interpretation and implementation.”
Empowering Regional Graziers: Upskilling Through Excel Workshops
Last month in July, a sold-out Intermediate Excel for Grazing Enterprises workshop was held in Theodore, equipping local graziers with essential skills to better manage their herds and support their decision-making processes.
This one-day workshop, organized in partnership with the TNQ Drought Hub, Dawson Catchment Coordinating Association, and Fitzroy Basin Association, highlighted the critical importance of upskilling in regional areas.
Rhonda Tom-Morgan from ConnectAg, who led the workshop, shared, “The workshop helped producers build their skills and confidence in using spreadsheets to better manage their business.
Supporting Extension Officers through a Lifelong Journey of Learning
The TNQ Drought Hub, in collaboration with the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF), has developed a generic Extension Pathways Matrix designed to support extension organisations across Australia.
This matrix, along with other supporting documents, provides a structured framework for identifying the skills needed by extension officers, informing their career paths and training requirements.
Extension services are vital in strengthening drought resilience by helping land managers adopt new practices and turning research into practical, on-the-ground solutions. To ensure these services are effective, it’s crucial that extension officers receive ongoing professional development.
Local field days crucial for fostering community engagement
This month, Northern Adoption Officer, Keerah Steele and Program Communications Manager, Emily Harrington joined the Southern Gulf NRM team at the Richmond Field Days and Races.
These types of local events, (including the Charters Towers Northern Beef Producers Expo which the hub also attended earlier in the month), provide valuable opportunities for engaging with the community, sharing information about upcoming initiatives, and discussing various projects in the region.
Keerah also attended Southern Gulf NRM’s two-day Breeder Management workshop on a cattle station north of Richmond.
REGISTER NOW: Property Management - Understanding Financial Systems, 22 October, Cloncurry
Agtech Insights
Read the latest edition of Agtech insights where we look into:
- ‘Tech Explained’ with Agrifutures growAG
- Try out the new beta version of the Bureau of Meteorology’s website
- What does the 3G shutdown mean for Agtech?
- plus more
Get Involved
- Survey: If you have heard about, accessed or used My Climate View, you are invited to provide your feedback about 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. Complete the Survey.
- Apply: Advance your career with a Horticulture Sector women’s leadership scholarship. Partial scholarships of $1,000 – $5,000 are available to help women in select industries participate in our world-class leadership courses. Courses are available for women at all levels. Applications close Friday 6 September 2024. Find out more.
- Apply: Applications are now open for AgCAREERSTART – a 10-12 month gap-year program kick-starting young Australians’ careers in agriculture. The program connects farmers with participants who are looking to work on Australian farms. Find out more.
- Survey: You are invited to provide your views on the consultation draft of the Australian Government Drought Plan. Your feedback will help inform the new Drought Plan. Complete the Survey.
- Apply: The Long-term Trials of Drought Resilient Farming Practices Program Round 2 will investigate innovative farming practices, technologies and/or approaches through evidence-based trials to inform farmers, drive adoption, and foster transformational change to build drought and climate resilience. The Program has an expanded list of eligible agricultural industries. Find out more.
- Apply: The Resilient Landscapes Program will focus on demonstrating how implementing and scaling of practices, technologies or approaches to manage natural resources on farm, contribute to building drought and climate resilience by improving landscape function and ecosystem services. 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;
- Livestock carbon footprint workshop, 21 August, Clermont
- Livestock carbon footprint workshop, 23 August, Moura
- 23rd Australasian Weeds Conference, 25-29 August, Brisbane
- Breeding EDGE, 2-4 September, Charters Towers
- QLD beef industry market & technology roadshow, 3 September, Richmond
- QLD beef industry market & technology roadshow, 4 September, Charters Towers
- QLD beef industry market & technology roadshow, 5 September, Clermont
- QLD beef industry market & technology roadshow, 6 September, Rockhampton
- Community Resilience Survey Workshop, 5 September, Georgetown
- Changemaker Workshop, 5-6 September, Georgetown
- Farm Business Resilience Program Climate Workshop, 13 September, Bell
Resources
Pest animal and weed management survey results from 2016, 2019 and 2022 have been integrated into an ABARES dashboard. Users can explore specific species or issues, across regions and through time. It also brings together detailed data on the associated costs of pests and weeds management activities.
TNQ Drought Hub Node Partners
