Vic Hub part of national drought-resilience discussions

August 4, 2023

Drought Hub Directors gather in Katherine Aug 2023 — L-R: Dr Stephen Lee (Director, SA), Jane (Katherine Rural College), Sandra Knowles (Director, Tasmania), Prof John McVeigh (Executive Director, SQNNSW), Prof Michael Tausz (Director, Victoria), Leia Grimsey (Manager, SQNNSW), Cindy Cassidy (Director, SNSW), Mark Holland (Director, SW WA), Alison (Katherine Rural College), Nadia Rimmer (Manager, Northern Hub), David Phelps (Director, Tropical North Queensland), Jed Matz (CEO, Northern Hub), Paul Burke (Chief Strategy Officer, Northern Hub).

First Nations focus for Drought & Innovation Hub Directors’ NT gathering

The Victoria Drought Resilience Adoption & Innovation Hub (Vic Hub) was part of a nation-wide collaboration in Katherine this week, aimed at enhancing drought resilience in communities.

The Northern Territory gathering brought together directors of Australia’s eight Drought Resilience Adoption & Innovation Hubs, funded through the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.

Vic Hub Director Prof Michael Tausz said, “The gathering gave us an excellent opportunity for knowledge exchange and the sharing of best practices. A key highlight was the presentation from Centrefarm Aboriginal Horticulture Ltd, which is an Aboriginal not-for-profit organisation funded by the Northern Hub, who hosted the eight Hubs.”

Prof Tausz said Centrefarm’s culturally significant and innovative co-mapping project in the Alekarenge and Mataranka regions involved collaboration with Traditional Custodians to integrate cultural knowledge, stories, sites, biota and language onto a large canvas map, utilising geospatial data. The co-created maps will serve as a bridge between different knowledge groups and facilitate discussions about climate, weather patterns and sustainable water use in cross-cultural settings.

He said during the visit to Katherine, the Hub Directors learnt more about the co-mapping project’s broader implications for drought resilience directly from the Centrefarm operators.

“It was an excellent example of the power of collaboration and how integrating diverse perspectives can lead to more effective drought-resilience strategies. It particularly showed the power of integrating traditional knowledge with innovative technologies to build more resilient communities across Australia.

“While the regional circumstances are very different in Victoria, it is important to better understand what works in other places and draw on their experiences.”

The national meeting also emphasised the commitment of Australia’s eight Drought Resilience Adoption & Innovation Hubs to collaboratively tackle drought challenges, share insights and create a sustainable future for all Australians.