The Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment is to support eight drought resilience adoption and innovation hubs as shopfronts across Australia for farmers, agribusinesses and communities to connect with drought resilience expertise.
The Department is also to support an independent Advisory Committee to provide oversight of the hubs.
Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management, David Littleproud said each hub would service a broad area and respond to the needs and conditions of their region.
“The hubs bring together organisations working across research, development, extension, adoption and commercialisation, and get them working together in response to the needs of farmers, agribusiness and communities in their region,” Mr Littleproud said.
“There’s a lot of good research already being done. These hubs will focus on translating research into impact through a focus on development, extension, adoption and commercialisation.”
Mr Littleproud said the independent Advisory Committee would be chaired by Brent Finlay and would receive support from the Department.
“Using its broad range of expertise, the committee will connect the hubs to each other, to national priorities and identify opportunities to support transformational change,” he said.
“In addition to the Hubs identifying regional priorities, a National Investment Plan will be developed to assist and shape future investment in drought research and adoption.”
He said once finalised, the National Investment Plan would also ensure the activities of the hubs were informed by national, as well as regional priorities.
