COUNCILS BOLSTER DROUGHT RESILIENCE FOR THE CENTRAL ORANA REGION
Dubbo Regional Council (DRC) has partnered with Narromine Shire Council (NSC) to co-develop a Drought Resilience Plan for the Central Orana Region.
DRC and NSC were successful in receiving $200,000 from the program for the study which will see a consultant appointed to create a resilience plan that works at a regional scale, considering drought resilience beyond water security and including environmental and social resilience needs.
The Central Orana Regional Drought Resilience Plan will present historical and predicted impacts of drought; highlight ways to improve agricultural landscapes for better outcomes in times of disaster and provide a list of actions to build drought resilience specific to the Central Orana Region.
The plan will cover Dubbo, Narromine, Trangie, Wellington and the surrounding village communities, and will be designed to support the development of drought plans for these communities.
DRC Strategy, Partnerships and Engagement Director Natasha Comber said Council is looking forward to working with Narromine Shire Council, the Department of Regional NSW and the consultant to help develop the Drought Resilience Plan.
“Residents will be well aware of the challenges that droughts present to us in regional NSW. From community to economy, droughts impact us on many levels, so being able to develop a solid, tangible plan of action with our partners will be of great benefit to the Dubbo Region and beyond,” Ms Comber said.
The program acknowledges that Council and community from the wider region can learn from previous droughts and plan for broader community implications.
“The plan will take into account previous and existing regional strategies from the Dubbo and Narromine areas that aim to mitigate the effects of drought. DRC staff are looking forward to working with Narromine to see our combined knowledge feed into the formulation of this Drought Resilience Plan.
“Droughts don’t consider local government borders,” Ms Comber said.
NSC Director Community and Economic Development Phil Johnston said it was a great opportunity to work with a neighbouring Council.
“Our whole region has been affected by droughts in the past, especially those which have lingered for years. We look forward to hearing ideas from the community about improving our resilience in dry times,” Mr Johnston said.
Community engagement for the Drought Resilience Plan will begin in March 2024.
Minister for Regional NSW Tara Moriarty says the expanded program in NSW aims to help agricultural communities forward-plan to prepare for inevitable periods of reduced rainfall.
“This acknowledges each region in NSW is different and requires a tailor-made approach to drought preparedness to be truly effective. Having community-led Regional Drought Resilience Plans will help set them up for success.”
To learn more about the plan, and to provide your feedback when community engagement begins, visit the project’s YourSay page at https://yoursay.dubbo.nsw.gov.au/drought-resilience-plan.
The Regional Drought Resilience Planning program is jointly funded by the Australian Government and NSW Government under the Future Drought Fund.
An additional $250,000 will be available for the implementation phase of the project once the plan is complete.
For more information about the Regional Drought Resilience Planning Program, visit: www.nsw.gov.au/rdrp.
Last Edited: 04 Mar 2024