Planning together for Eyre Peninsula.
The plan
The Eyre Peninsula Drought Resilience Advisory Group are currently preparing a Regional Drought Resilience Plan for the Eyre Peninsula.
Having a Regional Drought Resilience Plan is important as it will help unlock future Federal Government and other funding streams for drought resilience programs, projects and initiatives to be undertaken on the Eyre Peninsula.
The Plan will identify strategies and opportunities that will help the Eyre Peninsula prepare for, respond to and recover from drought.
The draft Plan is on public consultation from 8 – 22 August 2024. Please access the draft Plan here, and visit the Get Involved page to learn how you can provide feedback on the draft Plan.
In particular, the Plan aims to build drought resilience of the agricultural sector and allied industries, while taking a systems thinking approach which recognises that agriculture on the Eyre Peninsula does not occur in isolation, and what happens on farms has flow on impacts to communities, the natural environment and regional economy.
Drought can impact the agricultural sector and supporting industries, communities, natural environment, economies and infrastructure in many ways.
Drought is not new to the Eyre Peninsula, nor is variability and changing patterns of rainfall. This has been evident over recent months as changing seasonal rainfall patterns have impacted crop seeding and other activities on the Eyre Peninsula. Farmers on the Eyre Peninsula are also not new to adapting to changing conditions. They have a long history of being leaders and innovators in developing enhanced and new ways to sustain their farms during times of reduced rainfall and drought or other challenges.
There are many factors that make individuals, communities and regions resilient to drought. The Eyre Peninsula already has a range of features/characteristics that contribute to its resilience which can be further leveraged and strengthened. There are also new opportunities to be realised. These include what can be done before a drought occurs to build resilience and improve the ability of individuals, farms, communities and the region to manage through drought and recover, remaining sustainable over the longer term.
The RDR Plan is not just about what can be done collectively to build drought resilience of the region. It is also about what can be done individually at a household and farm scale and in communities to be drought resilient.
These might include initiatives to build community connectedness and wellbeing, help locals learn the skills they need to adapt their businesses to drought conditions, reduce total grazing pressure or adapt cropping practises during drought times, investing in infrastructure and services, fund on-ground community projects, creating the time and space to develop meaningful shared connections and partnerships with First Nations peoples, and much more.
The region
For the purposes of this Plan, the Eyre Peninsula region encompasses the 11 Eyre Peninsula Councils.
We acknowledge and pay our respects to the First Nations of this region.
Advisory Group
The Eyre Peninsula Drought Resilience Advisory Group was established to deliver the Eyre Peninsula Regional Drought Resilience Plan.
The Advisory Group is comprised of the Regional Development Australia Eyre Peninsula, Eyre Peninsula Landscape Board, Ag Innovation & Research Eyre Peninsula (AIR EP), Primary Industries and Regions South Australia and the SA Drought Hub.
The Advisory Group will drive the project, contributing their deep local expertise and established regional relationships to the plan’s development. Environment, engagement and strategic planning specialists URPS have been engaged to prepare the plan and deliver the associated stakeholder and community engagement.
Funding source
This project is part of the Regional Drought Resilience Planning program and is jointly funded through the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund and the Government of South Australia.
The Eyre Peninsula is one of many regions across Australia to prepare a Regional Drought Resilience Plan through the Future Drought Fund.
The process
The Eyre Peninsula Regional Drought Resilience Plan will be prepared by combining regional experiences, knowledge and priorities with a strong literature and evidence base.
We want to build on what we already have and know. By learning from what has or hasn’t worked well in the past, we can drive meaningful change.
We know that every region needs a highly tailored approach, and that a one-size-fits-all approach will never work. That’s why listening to our communities to understand exactly what they need is such an important part of preparing the Plan.
The project will have four key phases.
Phase 1:
Literature review and stakeholder and community engagement
June – July 2024
Desktop review of regional plans, strategies, projects and research, and literature on leading resilience practice, planning and implementation.
Key informant interviews with the experts including technical experts in drought, farming, agri-business, community development, natural resource management and economic development, local organisations who work in the region on a daily basis, and drought resilience planners from other regions around Australia.
Regional forums in each of the 11 Local Government Areas across the Eyre Peninsula
Online forum/s
Online survey
Phase 2:
Developing the Draft Regional Drought Resilience Plan
July – August 2024
Writing the draft Eyre Peninsula Regional Drought Resilience Plan using the findings of phase 1 of the project.
Phase 3:
Review, refine and accept
August – September 2024
Gathering feedback on the draft Plan from our stakeholders, communities, State Government, CSIRO and the Federal Government.
Adjusting the Plan to ensure that it meets the needs of all stakeholders and community members.
Phase 4:
Implementation
Late 2024
Once the plan has been approved by the Federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, we’ll kick start implementing the Plan and enhancing drought resilience in our region.
This program is jointly funded through the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund and the Government of South Australia.
