FRRR and ARLF are pleased to announce the next 25 organisations that are acting as the lead local community partner in the Future Drought Fund’s Helping Regional Communities Prepare for Drought Initiative – Community Impact Program. The initiative is supported by the Australian Government, through the Future Drought Fund.
These 25 organisations, each of which is highly respected and well connected locally, will now lead the process of co-designing a detailed project plan, working closely with other local community groups, before submitting it for final assessment in early April. They join the lead organisations in regions announced late last year in scoping projects valued at up to $500,000.
FRRR’s Disaster Resilience and Climate Solutions Lead, Nina O’Brien, said that it’s exciting to have another 25 groups moving forward in this process.
“Widespread flooding affected QLD, WA, SA, NSW and VIC and given the severity of the impacts in so many places, we initially expected that there would most likely be a delay to some of these regions being ready to undertake drought resilience planning. However, after chatting to the affected groups, the majority confirmed that they want to proceed, to give communities something to look forward to and to change local conversations and outlooks,” Ms O’Brien said.
The local partner organisations will be supported by an independent facilitator, funded through the program, who will work with the groups to ensure that the plans are sound and that they engage as many local groups as possible in the project design.
The remaining three regions (Far West NSW, Northwest QLD and Great Southern in WA) will proceed later this year, allowing them time to recover from floods and, in some cases, to confirm the local lead partner organisation.
