The Regional Drought Resilience Planning Program is supporting communities in the Gunnedah Shire and Liverpool Plains Shire to proactively prepare for, and manage future droughts.
This initiative is funded through the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund and offers opportunities for us ato work together in identifying local priorities, vulnerabilities and opportunities to plan for how we reduce the risks and effects of future droughts.
Our council was successful in receiving a grant to roll out the activities outlined in our Regional Drought Resilience Plan, which was developed through community consultation in 2024. Based on the experiences shared from across the community and suggestions put forward, we are now rolling out 10 actionable objectives.
The priorities between now and the end of 2025 are to:
- Establish a taskforce to support the implementation of our Regional Drought Resilience Plan;
- Commence tree planting and ground cover initiatives to increase shade and native plant coverage, and to improve soil health around townships;
- Strengthen mental health and well-being in the community through mental health training;
- Develop plans to support local businesses and boost community morale in times of drought;
- Involve young people in ways to future-proof local industries, including agriculture, through work experience programs and a career expo; and
- Strengthen connections and relationships across our communities.
There are various ways you can get involved in these activities. Keep an eye on this page and our social media platforms for more information.
Small Business Survey
As part of ongoing work by Gunnedah Shire and Liverpool Plains Shire Councils to plan and prepare for future drought, we are surveying local businesses to understand levels of resilience and interest in training opportunities.
The need to support business resilience was identified as a priority during the community consultation stage of the Regional Drought Resilience Plan.
We would greatly appreciate if you could spare a few minutes to complete this survey, which will provide valuable insights to inform and help to prioritise future programs for our business communities.
Click here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9P28ZCN
The Regional Drought Resilience Planning initiative is part of the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund. It supports regional communities to proactively prepare for and manage drought by identifying local priorities, vulnerabilities, and opportunities.
Through our Regional Drought Resilience Plan, work is under way to develop programs to:
- boost local skills and experience;
- connect young people with future employers and expose them to career opportunities through work experience programs;
- promote intergenerational knowledge-sharing to increase drought resilience; and
- increase collaboration between community, local businesses and governments to boost economic resilience.
The survey is open until Friday, 7 November 2025.