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Drought Resilience Leaders Development Program – Gascoyne-Murchison

The Drought Resilience Leaders Development Program Gascoyne-Murchison is open to people aged 18 years and over living in the shires of Yalgoo, Murchison, Mount Magnet, Sandstone, Cue, Meekatharra, Upper Gascoyne and Wiluna.

The program provides a learning experience that will challenge and support you to develop the skill, knowledge, mindset and networks to lead your community into the future. Become part of a forward-thinking network of people committed to embedding resilience thinking in their communities and to influencing change.

Applications have been extended until 5 December 2021.

Program dates and locations

Session 1 | 4 days in person

16 – 19 Feb 2022

Location TBC

Themes: Self-awareness, adaptive leadership, change theory, personal and community resilience

Session 2 | 2 days online

14 – 15 Mar 2022

Virtual

Themes: Climate science, problem-solving, creativity, mental and physical wellbeing

Session 3 | 3 days in person

30 Mar – 1 Apr 2022

Location TBC

Themes: Scenario planning, influence, network leadership

Meet the facilitators

A team of people committed to leadership development, climate adaptation and wellbeing in regional rural and remote Australia.

Elizabeth Brennan

Founder | agdots

Elizabeth is a leader in Western Australia’s agricultural and community development space and beyond.

She works tirelessly to connect people and ideas to create opportunities and impact within the community.

As the program’s regional lead, Elizabeth is promoting the program locally. She can be contacted with questions about the program via email.

Dr Anika Molesworth

Scientist and farming sustainability advocate | anikamolesworth.com

Anika is a passionate advocate for
sustainable farming, environmental
conservation and climate change
action. She helped form Farmers
for Climate Action, and connects
land managers to researchers
through her platform Climate Wise
Agriculture to help build resilience
into farming communities.

Tom Henderson

Director Polykala

Polykala will explore the ideas of
adaptive leadership experientially.
They will encourage participants
to explore leadership through their
own professional and personal
experience. Participants will be
on their feet learning in real-time
through creative and reflective
activities.

Paul Ryan

Director Australian Resilience Centre

Paul is passionate about the future of rural people and places. He is a global leader in resilience, adaptation and transformative practice and helps people catalyse new thinking to bring about positive social and environmental change. Over the past 15 years, Paul has worked with communities around the globe on climate adaptation, disaster preparedness and recovery and more.

Apply now

Frequently asked questions

What are the program objectives?

1. To contribute to the objectives of the Future Drought Fund; to enhance the public good by building drought resilience.
2. To create a network of resilient, courageous and influential leaders committed to the prosperity and sustainability of rural, regional and remote Australia.
3. To bring together groups of people in each region to develop evidence-based leadership and resilience skills and improve their drought and environmental literacy.
4. To build the awareness of participants about the benefits of collaboration when working to address the complex and wicked problems facing leaders.
5. To encourage participants to be part of collaborative networks in order to create and lead social change.

Who can apply for this program?

This program is open for anyone aged 18 and over in the participating regions.

When are the programs happening?

The programs are happenings between August 2021 and June 2022. Visit the individual region’s page to find out when the program is on in your area.

Where does the program take place?

The program is available in 12 regions, including:

Victoria: Goulburn Valley and Mallee
Queensland: Central West and South West
Western Australia: Gascoyne-Murchison and Northern Wheatbelt
South Australia: Eyre Peninsula and Murraylands
Tasmania: North East
Northern Territory: Katherine region
New South Wales: Western and North West Slopes and Plains

The regions are loosely defined. To find out what local government areas each region covers, visit the individual region’s pages.

How many places are available?

There are 40 places in each of the 12 regions, making it a total of 480 places.

How were these regions selected?

Regions were selected based on an analysis by a team of experts from the consortia and delivery partners. The team analysed data for 61 regions.

How long is this program?

The program takes eight days in total. It is split into three sessions spread over six to eight weeks with approximately two to three weeks between each session. The first and third sessions are delivered in person over three days* and the second session is delivered over two days online.
*Sessions may be delivered online if pandemic restrictions don’t allow for in-person meetings.

How are candidates selected?

Places on the program are awarded based on the information provided in the application. A selection panel will assess each application based on the following selection criteria:

1. Committed to initiating and leading significant change in their sector, community and/or region
2. Open to new ideas and demonstrate a willingness to learn, grow, adapt and change
3. Willing to complete an intensive leadership development program with a focus on experiential learning
4. Able to demonstrate previous experience, and/or future capability in leadership
5. Ready to work collaboratively in their region on initiatives and plans for the future benefit of the region

How is the program funded?

The Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund covers this program. As a participant, you will only need to fund your own travel and meals. An allowance of up to $500 is available to cover up to 50 % of your travel, meal and additional accommodation costs.

What happens after the program?

On completion, you will join the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation’s alumni network. It’s a group of people connected by a shared vision for rural, regional and remote Australia. In joining this growing group, you will have access to peer support, learning and development resources, and the opportunity to collaborate on issues and opportunities important important to you and the network.

How does the application process work?

When the program opens in your region select the ‘apply now’ button on the program page. You will be taken to a Survey Monkey Apply page. If you don’t have a Survey Monkey Apply account, you will need to register for one with your email address.

Before filling out the application form, check your email inbox for a verification email from Survey Monkey Apply. You will need to verify your email address before submitting your application.

After filling out the application form, make sure that you click submit. You will receive a confirmation email if your application has been submitted correctly.

Please allow at least one hour to complete your application.

If you haven’t received a confirmation email, or need help with your application, call us on 02 6281 0680 or email us at droughtresilience@rural-leaders.org.au. One of our team members will happily assist.

What will I be asked in the application?

Aside from standard questions about yourself, we will be asking you to list any community and/ or volunteer positions that you currently hold or have held in the past. You will also need to explain what you have learned from the position.

An example may be: Tuckshop Assistant, Gumtree School, 2 years, I have learnt to ensure high quality of food standards and to work with different personalities and think on my feet.

We will also be asking if you have completed any other leadership programs or qualifications.
Lastly, we will want to know what impact you want to have on rural, regional and remote Australia as a result of your participation in this program.