Eight Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hubs will now be established as part of the Australian Government's $5 billion Future Drought Fund.
Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management David Littleproud said a $66 million investment from the Australian Government has leveraged an additional $114 million in co-contributions with a total of 143 partner organisations across the eight Hubs.
"These Hubs will bring together farmers, industry, agribusinesses and communities to connect with drought resilience expertise and contribute to the design of innovative technologies and practices.
"Innovation, driving the development and adoption of new drought resilient technologies and practices, is a central strategy under the Fund.
"Each Hub will service a broad area and respond to the needs and conditions of their region. A 'hub and spoke' model is being used to provide shopfronts across regional Australia.
"The hubs bring together organisations working across research, development, extension, adoption and commercialisation, and get them working together in response to the needs of farmers, agribusiness and communities in their region.
"There's a lot of good research already being done. These Hubs will focus on translating research into impact through a focus on development, extension, adoption and commercialisation.
"This will be done with farmers, not to farmers, through a strong focus engagement, co-design and collaboration with the ultimate users of innovation support - farmers, agribusinesses, natural resource managers, and farming communities.
An independent Advisory Committee, chaired by Brent Finlay, will provide oversight across the Hubs. The Committee will be supported by the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment.
"Using their broad range of expertise the Committee will connect the Hubs to each other, to national priorities and identify opportunities to support transformational change," Minister Littleproud said.
"In addition to the Hubs identifying regional priorities a National Investment Plan will be developed to assist shape future investment in drought research and adoption.
"Development of the National Investment Plan will involve close engagement and be co-designed with our farmers, industry, farming groups and communities, agri-research and extension sectors, the Hubs and the Research and Development Corporations.
"Once finalised the National Investment Plan will also ensure activities of regionally focused Adoption and Innovation Hubs are informed by national, as well as regional priorities."
The Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hubs Advisory Committee are independent of the Future Drought Fund's Consultative Committee who advise on the Drought Resilience Funding Plan, ensuring all Future Drought Fund programs are consistent with the Plan.
