Limestone Coast organisations will receive more than $400,000 for projects to grow the capacity and resilience of their agriculture-dependent communities preparing for the impacts of future drought.
The Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal, in partnership with Australian Rural Leadership Foundation, announced the grants on Tuesday.
The funding will be used for a range of different initiatives, spread across the region.
The Limestone Coast Food & Agribusiness Cluster will receive $51,000 to strengthen drought preparedness and drive local action in the Limestone Coast region through the coordination of Community Impact Program activities and evaluation administration.
The cluster will also receive another $147,550 to build capability in community leaders, networks and organisations to undertake strategic drought resilience planning and future drought preparedness activities.
This will be delivered through a program for youth that supports upskilling, networking and mentoring activities in the Grant District, Kingston, Mount Gambier, Naracoorte-Lucindale, Robe, Tatiara and Wattle Range council areas.
The MacKillop Farm Management Group has been allocated $75,000 to improve capability, coordination and collaboration between networks, other community organisations and sectors that can be drawn upon in future drought through the delivery of governance workshops.
The areas covered include Grant District, Kingston, Mount Gambier, Naracoorte-Lucindale, Robe, Tatiara and Wattle Range councils.
The Limestone Coast Landscape Board’s Walking the Seasons project will receive $39,823 to build depth of social connection, a shared sense of purpose and longer-term community belonging that can be drawn upon in future drought through tailoring bi-monthly art workshops run by the Burrandies and Ngarrindjeri Aboriginal Corporations.
The Women Together Learning group has been allocated $47,000 to build rural women’s connection and capacity for drought preparation.
The project aims to improve capability, coordination and collaboration between networks, other community organisations and sectors that can be drawn upon in future drought through a capacity-building program for women in Keith and Millicent.
The Australian Migrant Resource Centre will be granted $49,000 to build depth of social connection, a shared sense of purpose and longer-term community belonging that can be drawn upon in future drought through engaging recent migrants in the Bordertown, Naracoorte and Mount Gambier communities and agricultural industries.
The projects are being funded through the Future Drought Fund’s Helping Regional Communities Prepare for Drought Initiative, and are the second tranche of funding delivered through the initiative’s Community Impact Program.
As part of the program, a facilitator has been employed in each region to support the lead community partner in engaging and communicating with key stakeholders, helping identify investments that are already happening locally and ensuring the projects align with the community’s preparedness priorities.
