The Albanese Labor Government is ramping up a successful community-led drought program, with more regions than ever building their resilience to drought and climate risks.
Communities across Australia are taking the opportunity to be better prepared for the next drought thanks to the Regional Drought Resilience Planning (RDRP) program, part of the Government's Future Drought Fund (FDF).
The RDRP program currently has 69 participating regions, covering most agricultural areas of Australia.
It brings together regional organisations, local government, industry and communities to develop grassroots drought resilience plans that are tailored to their specific, local needs.
The current phase also provides grants of up to $300,000 for regions to kick-start putting their plans into action.
This funding is already rolling out across the country for activities such as analysing soil and weather data, improving land management and preparing to maintain town green spaces in times of drought.
The next phase of funding is nearly double the first phase, meaning regions can implement even more local actions.
This additional funding will also help regions to govern and improve their plans, and more agricultural regions will have the opportunity to take part.
The RDRP complements other place-based FDF programs including the FDF Communities program and the Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hubs.
The Albanese Labor Government has committed $67 million to the next phase of the RDRP program over 4 years from July 2025 and is working with the state and territory governments on co-funding and delivery arrangements.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Julie Collins MP:
"We always think of our farmers in times of drought, but it's important to remember that when farmers are doing it tough, whole communities are impacted at the same time.
"The RDRP program means regional communities can put together local plans that cater to their unique needs. We've already seen from previous community plans just how diverse regional communities and their specific needs can be.
"We always say there is no one way to be prepared for drought, and this is a demonstration of how the FDF can be flexible, targeted and localised."
