Community plans are being made to help strengthen the Wide Bay Burnett’s preparedness for future dry times.
Regional Development Australia Wide Bay Burnett (RDAWBB) is delivering the Regional Drought Resilience Planning Program, after a rigerous consultation period with community members, industry, First Nations Organisations and the government.
Workshops inviting the community to help co-design the planning program will be held throughout the Wide Bay Burnett, with sessions held in both Kingaroy and Gayndah in the Burnett region.
The program delivery will be headed up by Bundaberg local Tim Sayre, who has worked with Jobs Bundaberg and the Bundaberg Chamber of Commerce.
RDAWBB is set to now lead the next phase of turning strategy into action through projects which will deliver real benefits across each catchment and across the region.
Mr Sayre shared the programs are built of years of collaboration and planning, involving the coordination of partnerships with a broad cross- section of stakeholders.
“While each plan responds to the specific challenges of its catchment, both share common goals: embedding resilience into local planning, fostering knowledge sharing through digital tools, and building long-term preparedness,” Mr Sayre said.
“The benefits will extend well beyond farms, strengthening local economies, supporting healthy landscapes, and improving wellbeing across rural communities.”
The next stage in this resilience project will be practical, focusing on where the RDAWBB can assist and turning the plan’s ideas into action through collaboration, innovation and investment.
“Community and stakeholder ideas and local knowledge will help shape initiatives that strengthen our people, business, industries, and communities,” Mr Sayre said.
“By investing in networks, resources and practical solutions, the Burnett and Mary plans provide a framework for long-term action, ensuring our communities are better placed to manage drought and thrive into the future.”
The program forms part of the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund, which supports regions to develop and deliver drought resilience plans across 69 regions nationally.
For the Wide Bay Burnett, this marks a new chapter in building resilience which readies the community to not only respond to drought when it hits, but to already have strategies embedded which helps the region adapt, grow and remain strong for generations to come.
“There is an old saying about the best time to plant a tree,” Mr Sayre said, “and the same is true for drought. The best time to plan for drought is when the grass is green, the dams are full and times are good. The second-best time to plan for drought is now.”
For more information visit rdawidebayburnett.org.au or attend your closest Regional Drought Resilience Program Planning workshop:
Tuesday, 18 November: Maryborough Workshop, 9am-12.30pm
Wednesday, 19 November: Kilkivan workshop at Kilkivan CWA Hall, 9am-12.30pm
Thursday, 27 November: Online workshop 9am -12.30pm (invitations sent via email after RSVP)
Tuesday, 2 December: Kingaroy workshop at Kingaroy Chamber of Commerce Office, 9am-12.30pm
Wednesday, 3 December: Gayndah workshop at Gayndah Hall, 9am-12.30pm
Thursday, 4 December: Bundaberg workshop at Bundaberg Multiplex (1 Civic Ave, Bundaberg West), 9am-12.3pm
To RSVP for a workshop visit: rdawidebayburnett.org.au/event-list
