Maintaining Community Capacity is an important outcome for the sustainability of the Agricultural sector in our region, and also happens to be the title of NACC NRM’s latest project through the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR) Community Impact Program.
This project, supported by FRRR through funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund, will directly support community groups and organisations in the Midwest to transition to a structure that reduces the reliance on volunteer labour. Reducing the demand on volunteers will allow groups to allocate more resources to strategic planning for drought resilience, and increase their availability and capability to engage in funding and consultation rounds.
NACC NRM will provide administration support to other projects funded in the Midwest through the Community Impact program, the Midwest Food Industry Alliance (MWFIA)’s Healthy Lifestyles Project, and the Southern Rangelands Pastoral Alliance (SRPA)’s Peer to Peer Learning Project.
The MWFIA’s Healthy Lifestyles Project will focus on areas that are directly affected by food quality and availability in the Midwest, with the aim of engaging people to understand what they can control when it comes to food consumption and production in drought conditions. The project will focus on changing attitudes to drought preparedness when it comes to the basic needs of rural and remote communities, and recognising that locally sourced food and reduction of waste can ultimately lower the effect of drought on food availability and quality in the regions.
The SRPA’s Peer to Peer Learning Project will tell the stories around existing projects that help to build resilience in the pastoral region using emerging technology to allow remote engagement in activities that highlight existing work, showcase pride in community, and celebrate achievements. These initiatives help to remove the need for pastoralists to travel considerable distances in order to engage in projects and activities within their industry.
For more information about this project please contact NACC NRM’s Sustainable Agriculture Program Coordinator Callum Love on (E) callum.love@nacc.com.au (P) 9938 0116 or (M) 0438 989 500.
Callum Love – Sustainable Agriculture Program Coordinator
These projects are supported by FRRR, through funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.