- First round grants announced for Future Drought Fund’s Networks to Build Drought Resilience program
- 60 grants awarded across Australia to build local drought resilience
- Program funds events, training, small scale infrastructure that will facilitate and enable networking.
Agricultural communities in the Toowoomba Region will benefit from $50,000 to help them better prepare for drought thanks to the Morrison Joyce Government’s $5 billion Future Drought Fund.
The fund’s second round of the Networks to Build Drought Resilience program will further support community led projects to build local drought resilience.
Minister for Agriculture and Northern Australia, David Littleproud said the program focuses on local initiatives to enable agricultural communities to be better prepared for the impacts of drought.
“Building drought resilience here in the Toowoomba Region benefits the entire Australian agriculture sector. The stronger individual communities are, the more robust our industry becomes as a result,” Minister Littleproud said.
Member for Groom Garth Hamilton said the project in the Toowoomba Region would boost community connectedness and help local communities better prepare for drought and other natural disasters.
“The Toowoomba Region has been drought declared since 2014, placing the communities under increasing stress, and this includes small business owners and their clients,” Mr Hamilton said.
“Momentum Mental Health will receive $50,000 to deliver Wellbeing and Drought Resilience training for Toowoomba and Darling Downs small business teams.
“Targeting small businesses to deliver this training is an effective way of building the capacity of organisations to help their customers from the Agricultural sector.
“Our local communities have a built-in resilience from years of dry weather, and any support that builds on the capacity of small businesses to handle the tough times is most welcome.”
Through this second round of the Networks to Build Resilience program, $5.2 million in value will delivered on ground to help prepare for drought. The $5.2 million is made up of $2.3 million from the Future Drought Fund, $0.8 million in funding raised by the FRRR and $2.1 million in cash and in-kind co-investment from grantees.
The program is being delivered in partnership with the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR).
Fast Facts:
- The Networks to Build Drought Resilience is a program under the Australian Government’s $5 billion Future Drought Fund.
- The Future Drought Fund provides a secure, continuous funding of $100 million per year for drought resilience initiatives.
- FRRR is a non-profit organisation focused on building the local networks and capabilities that underpin vibrant and resilient rural and regional communities.
