A community-led Regional Drought Resilience Plan can move forward with the backing of the Australian Government.
Forbes Shire Council, in partnership with Parkes and Lachlan shire councils, has secured funding under the Regional Drought Resilience Planning Program, jointly funded by the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund and the NSW Government.
This requires councils to work at a regional scale to think about drought resilience beyond water security, considering environmental and social resilience needs.
One of the first actions is to recruit an officer to coordinate the delivery of the projects within the plan across the region.
Priority projects for our three shires include:
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· Urban heat mapping - Using tree canopy data, aerial imaging, and heat mapping to identify priority areas across the three LGAs for future urban greening and cooling measures that will help protect communities in times of drought.
· Drought asset and action plans to be developed by each council, identifying public assets that serve as community gathering spaces during drought. These plans will also address facility and equipment upgrades, prioritise rainwater-reliant localities, and identify public shower and laundry access points, along with green respite spaces.
· Drought management plan for key recreational water bodies, focussing on key water bodies across the region, outlining current recreational uses and water management challenges, and setting resilience and adaptation objectives to maintain or improve these conditions during drought.
· Drought operational plan for Forbes Livestock Exchange, recognising the importance of the saleyards to all three shires during extended drought periods, this plan will guide operations and potential upgrades to better support drought-affected stock movements as well as factors such as fodder donations and the contribution of the CWLE to social connections for producers.
Forbes Shire Mayor, Phyllis Miller OAM said this funding provides a clear path forward.
“Drought is a challenge we know all too well in our region, and building resilience is about more than just securing water, it’s about supporting our environment, our communities, and our local economies," she said.
"This funding empowers us to take meaningful action that protects our environment, supports our people, and safeguards our local economy for years to come.”
The second stage of the program, the implementation stage, focuses on delivering key projects identified.
The councils said a number of plans and strategies relevant to all three LGAs were identified and submitted for consideration as part of the grant application process.
Minister for Regional NSW Tara Moriarty said the Regional Drought Resilience Planning Program acknowledges that each region in NSW is different and requires its own approach to have a real impact.
“We know drought is challenging, so we want our communities to be prepared and ready to act with plans in place,” she said.
“Having community-led Regional Drought Resilience Plans that take into account each region’s unique needs, is allowing these communities to build meaningful plans that will make a big difference.”
The Drought Resilience Plan for Forbes, Lachlan and Parkes Shires can be viewed via the Australian Government website.
The Plan was developed through extensive stakeholder engagement across the region and endorsed by the Australian Government.
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