The RDRP Program has been established under the Australian Government’s $5 billion Future Drought Fund, which invests in building resilience to drought for farmers, allied industries and regional communities.
This fund is allocating $100M annually to projects that support farmers and communities to become more prepared for and resilient to the impacts of drought.
The State Government is committed to ensuring WA’s regions are equipped to manage the impacts of drought through being more prepared and resilient. The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) is matching the federal government investment in the RDRP Program in WA and working with Regional Development Commissions across the state to develop 6 Regional Drought Resilience Plans in 2024.
The Pilbara Development Commission is working with the Kimberley Development Commission to deliver a drought resilience plan for the northwest of WA. The plan will be community-led and owned and focused on supporting communities to become more prepared for and resilient to the impacts of drought.
The Commissions will collaborate with local stakeholders and communities to produce a plan that:
- Identifies strategies to mitigate the impacts of drought on communities, agriculture, and natural resources;
- Strengthens community resilience to withstand the challenges posed by climate variability and extremes;
- Enhances the sustainable management of natural resources to mitigate the effects of drought on ecosystems and biodiversity; and
- Positions the regions for investment opportunities that promote economic growth and development despite drought conditions.
The Kimberley – Pilbara Regional Drought Resilience Plan is expected to be completed and approved by the Australian Government by December 2024.
The stakeholder consultation process was carried out in Apil/June and it engaged 85 people from 70 different entities covering 7 sectors (agriculture, local government, businesses, NRM, First Nations and more). Numerous project ideas were captured under the themes of water, resilient agriculture systems, resilient landscapes, resilient communities and resilient economy and grouped into small wins, medium- and long-term projects. These actions will inform the RDRP.
Other documents that will inform the RDRP are the Pilbara Drought Vulnerability Assessment, the Pilbara Background and Context Report, the Kimberley Drought Vulnerability Assessment and the Kimberley Background and Context Report. These are very important reports developed as part of the RDR planning process.
The draft Kimberley and Pilbara Regional Drought Resilience Plan is now open for public comment until Thursday 31st October, 5 pm
Following extensive consultation with community and stakeholders, we are pleased to share the draft Kimberley and Pilbara Regional Drought Resilience Plan (RDRP)
We are currently seeking feedback on the draft RDRP, which is now available for public comment. We encourage all stakeholders and the community to review this document and provide any feedback to us by Thursday 31st October, 5pm via the form below.
Future implementation funding will be prioritised to contribute towards projects in the RDRP, so if you have a project idea that can contributes to our regions drought resilience, please let us know.
To provide feedback please complete the form below, being as specific as possible. All submissions will be treated confidentially.
For further information on the Regional Drought Resilience Planning Program for:
For further information on the program visit:
- Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment: https://www.agriculture.gov.au/agriculture-land/farm-food-drought/drought/future-drought-fund/regional-drought-resilience-planning
- Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development: wa.gov.au/regional-drought-resilience-planning
This project is one of eight foundational programs under the Australian Governments $5 billion Future Drought Fund which is a long-term investment fund helping Australian farmers and communities become more prepared for, and resilient to the impacts of drought.
“Together, through collaborative efforts and proactive measures, we can build resilient communities that thrive despite the challenges posed by climate variability and extremes.”