Drought preparedness program announced

The Initiative is funded through the Australian Government's Future Drought Fund and designed to help agriculture-dependent communities across remote, rural and regional Australia enhance their preparedness for drought.

The $29.6 million investment over three years builds on the Future Drought Fund's previous Networks to Build Drought Resilience program (led by FRRR) and the Drought Resilience Leaders program led by ARLF.

There are five elements to the Initiative, the first of which is the Community Impact Program. This is a place-based program designed to support community members and not-for-profit organisations in 35 regions across remote, rural and regional Australia to drive local action that helps prepare for drought.

An integrated package of support for community networks, has two main components:
- Community Impact Grants: FRRR will award 35 grants of between $200,000 and $500,000 and work with locally led community organisations to develop, co-design and deliver projects that strengthen community networks, capabilities and facilities that support drought preparedness
- Community Leadership Activities: ARLF will offer a range of funded leadership development activities to support community members to develop their leadership skills and equip them with the networks to respond to drought preparedness in their community.

FRRR's Disaster Resilience and Climate Solutions Portfolio Lead, Nina O'Brian, said that the program takes a place-based approach, recognising the need for a bespoke approach in different communities.

"Rural communities are better able to withstand impacts of events like drought when they are strong and well connected. The overall aim of this program is to facilitate increased social connection, strengthen network opportunities and link capacity building opportunities to ensure widespread local benefit, so that communities are better prepare for the future," O'Brian said.

"That will look different in each community, which is why we'll be working alongside community members and organisations to drive local action that best helps each community prepare for drought," she said.

"We've clustered LGA's into 35 regions and we're seeking a locally based not-for-profit to act as the lead applicant and work collaboratively with other local organisations to plan and undertake activities that increase drought preparedness over a multi-year period.

"The Community Impact Grants can fund projects, events, initiatives, training, capability building and small-scale community infrastructure projects.

"This will be a very collaborative program, with FRRR and ARLF working closely on the ground with the successful communities to define priorities, scope and delivery of the project. In addition, there will be access to expertise and networking opportunities," O'Brien said.

As part of the program, ARLF will offer several optional and complementary Leadership Development Activities at no cost to the successful applicants. These are designed to strengthen the leadership capabilities of communities to build individual and community drought resilience.

ARLF's Chief Executive Officer, Matt Linnegar, said that because every lead organisation and region will be at a different point in their resilience journey, ARLF has several options that communities can tap into.

The locations and projects in each of the 35 regions will be chosen based on potential drought impact, community readiness and complementarity with other government and philanthropic investments.

Expressions of interest close 26 September, with shortlisted groups commencing co-design in their communities in November and funding confirmed in May 2023. Groups will have until June 2025 to implement the projects.

Learn more about the program by visiting www.frrr.org.au/impact-program.