Southern NSW Drought Hub

WHY THIS PROJECT IS IMPORTANT

The Drought Adoption and Innovation Hubs are delivering a number of on-the-ground projects across Australia. 

The Southern NSW Hub is focusing on delivering innovations to enable farmers and communities to become more drought resilient and to better respond to a changing climate. It works by connecting farmers, industry and researchers to drive the development and adoption of innovative on-farm technologies and practices to improve future drought resilience.

Drought is an inevitable part of the Australian landscape, but because the timing, severity and duration of the next one is unknown, planning ahead is important. This can help reduce the economic, social and environmental impacts of future drought and climate challenges, which can otherwise impact the profitability and sustainability of farmers, communities and agribusiness.

The partners in the Southern NSW Hub include the Australian National University, Farming Systems Groups Alliance (which includes Riverine Plains), the First Nations Governance Circle, Local Land Services, the NSW Department of Primary Industries, Rural Aid, the University of Canberra and the University of Wollongong. The Hub encompasses most of the Macquarie River catchment and lower reaches of the Darling River, the Illawarra and South Coast, the Riverina, the Australian alps and Western New South Wales. The Southern NSW Hub’s coverage includes Canberra, Dubbo, Orange and Bathurst and their surrounding regions.

Project outcomes

Riverine Plains is collaborating with the Southern NSW Drought Resilience Adoption & Innovation Hub to deliver practical, farmer-focused solutions aimed at improving drought resilience.

Working with other Hub partners, Riverine Plains is ensuring local farming priorities shape Hub projects, fostering region-specific research, trials, and extension activities. 

2024

Riverine Plains reported on its 2024 Southern NSW Innovation Hub activities in Research for the Riverine Plains, 2025 - download the pdf.

Optimising soils and water management

In collaboration with the Hub, GRDC and CSIRO, Riverine Plains led the Improved Drought Resilience through optimal management of soils and available water project. This project built on the work of Dr John Kirkegaard’s Southern Farming Systems Project and established 12 demonstration sites across southern NSW, including locations in Wagga Wagga, Rand, Howlong, and Mulwala in collaboration with Central West Farming Systems, FarmLink, Southern Growers, and Charles Sturt University.

The project evaluated strategies such as diverse legume rotations, early sowing of slower-maturing crops, and nitrogen banking. Findings indicated that legume rotations could significantly increase residual nitrogen levels, while early sowing practices helped widen planting windows and reduce frost risk. Read the Case Studies with local farmers Sam Kellock (Mulwala), Tim Trevethan (Howlong) and Lawson Thomas (Mulwala).

Enhancing pasture resilience

The Changing landscapes with drought-resilient pastures project focused on improving pasture systems’ resilience to drought. Demonstration sites at Barooga and Savernake tested various lucerne-based systems under different grazing management practices. Results highlighted the benefits of rotational grazing and optimal lucerne seeding rates in enhancing pasture persistence and quality, contributing to more reliable feed sources during dry periods. Read the case studies with John Bruce (Barooga) and Chantelle and Christine Gorman (Savernake)

On-farm water management planning 

Recognising the critical role of water in farming, Riverine Plains supported the On-farm water management planning project. This initiative assisted farmers in developing comprehensive water management plans through workshops and one-on-one sessions. The plans aimed to help farmers assess their current and future water needs, improve water quality, and implement efficient storage and delivery systems to bolster drought resilience.

Throughout the past year, Riverine Plains has facilitated numerous workshops and field days, disseminating findings from these projects to the farming community. By fostering collaboration between farmers, researchers, and industry professionals, Riverine Plains ensures that practical, evidence-based strategies are accessible and adoptable, strengthening the region’s capacity to withstand future droughts. 

Riverine Plains is also involved in the Long-term trials of drought resilient farming practices in NSW project. This project sees six years of small plot trials research extended to demonstration sites managed by farming systems groups such as Riverine Plains.

2023

The Southern NSW Hub is tapping into the knowledge gained by local farmers and communities through their own experiences of drought, while also bringing together new ideas, perspectives, research, and technologies to help prepare for drought, and encouraging their adoption on-farm. The work to date has revealed that while many learnings can be applied from past droughts, there are still knowledge gaps that could be filled by helping farmers not only in managing current situations but being prepared for climate variability

A major project led by Riverine Plains in 2023 was the Improved drought resilience through optimal management of soil and water project. Partners in this large-scale project include CSIRO, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Southern Growers, Central West Farming Systems, FarmLink and Charles Sturt University. This project showcases the work of John Kirkegaard’s previous small-scale field trials looking at increased water use efficiency, soil organic carbon and nitrogen utilisation.

Other successful cross-hub projects with the Farming Systems Group Alliance (FSGA) in 2023 include:

• The Changing landscapes with drought resilient pastures project, which used the latest research on species and management to increase the use of perennial pasture species within farming landscapes, to increase resilience during dry  seasons
• The Saving soil during drought project, which demonstrated the best practice application of stock containment areas and was supported by a comprehensive suite of tools, materials and information to provide producers with knowledge and confidence to adopt.
• Preparing Australia, an audit of existing weather stations to provide support to standardise and validate data with the Bureau of Meteorology

Riverine Plains also started its involvement in the On-Farm Water Management project which supports farmers to prepare and implement on-farm water management plans. These plans will be developed at workshops and one-on-one sessions to help farmers  determine their stock and domestic water requirements and the capacity to meet these needs.

The Southern NSW Hub also awarded multiple partner organisations, including Riverine Plains, co-design grants which assisted with development of various projects and programs. To this end, Riverine Plains has completed codesign and consultation with our members and industry on the topic of succession planning and the challenges associated with starting the journey.

A summary of key outcomes from the project's 2023 activities were published in Research for the Riverine Plains, 2024. Read the full article: Southern NSW Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub.

2022

Riverine Plains reported on the Southern NSW Hub's activities in Research for the Riverine Plains, 2023. Key messages were:

1. The Southern NSW Hub is enabling regional communities to have a voice in drought resilience activities and gain access to resources. The Hub provides tools and programs to assist adoption.
2. Riverine Plains has appointed a Knowledge Broker for the Southern NSW Hub to represent our region and contribute to developing projects and resources that address identified priorities.
3. Work to date has revealed that while much can be learned and applied from past droughts, there are still knowledge gaps that could be filled by helping farmers to manage current situations and be better prepared for future climate variability

During 2022, The Southern NSW Hub played a key role in enabling Riverine Plains’ involvement in several large, multi-agency projects. Riverine Plains has committed to providing resources through our communication channels, including social media, emails, blog posts and our Trial Books, as well as incorporating key information across our events throughout the year. Most of our audience is time-poor, so we are working to streamline information and provide timely, relevant and reputable information and support, not only for our members but for the wider region in which we operate. Learn more about the Southern NSW Hub 2021 outcomes.

Summary of projects supported by Riverine Plains through the SNSW Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub