ABOUT
About The Hub
Led by the University of Adelaide, the SA Drought Hub comprises the core Hub at Roseworthy in the Mid North and five regional Nodes at Minnipa on Eyre Peninsula, Port Augusta in the Far North, Orroroo in the Upper North, Loxton in the Riverland, and Struan in the South-East.
A Stakeholder Advisory Group comprising regional partner organisations and industry leaders is attached to each Node.
The Hub has an Advisory Board to advise the Director on strategic directions and meeting the needs of local agricultural industries. The Advisory Board has an independent chair and includes representation from the Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA), the University of Adelaide, Ag Excellence Alliance, key agriculture commodity representative groups, Local Government Association, Landscape SA and appropriate State Government Agencies
Our Partners
grower groups; the three South Australian-based universities; Government agencies; Indigenous partners; agribusinesses; research, development and extension partners; and various industry organisations.
The partners are injecting into the hub $11.47 million of cash and in-kind support – in addition to the initial $8 million of funding over four years from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.
Watch this video to find out more about the SA Drought Hub
Where are the SA Drought Hub Nodes?
Nodes are located at Minnipa, Port Augusta, Orroroo, Loxton and Struan. The location of the Nodes ensures state-wide coverage of all pastoral, low, medium and high rainfall agricultural production zones.
The Nodes are a shopfront where farmers and community members can connect with drought resilience expertise.
The Nodes are an important part of the extension and adoption strategy of the SA Hub to achieve its vision of increasing adoption of drought preparedness tools, strategies and practices by primary producers.
Node Coordinators are based at each of the Nodes to enable them to be on the ground, working directly with our partners and primary producers to deliver project activities. Our Node Coordinators will be living in the communities, enabling them to have a greater understanding of the evolving needs of local partners and primary producers.
The Team
Stephen Lee
Dr Stephen Lee has a wealth of expertise and experience in developing collaborative research and development programs that drive productivity and profitability within the livestock industry, and in his role of Director he is eager to extend that experience to agriculture more broadly. Stephen was previously Partnerships Manager for the University of Adelaide’s Davies Livestock Research Centre.
Rhiannon Schilling
Deputy Director
Dr Rhiannon Schilling is the Program Leader of Agronomy at the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), a division of the Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA), and is an Affiliate Lecturer at The University of Adelaide.
Tony Randall
Knowledge Broker
Tony Randall has more than 20 years of experience working within agricultural and natural resources management industries in South Australia and the Northern Territory. Tony has worked extensively in the not-for-profit sector as both a project officer and in leadership and management roles.
Node Co-ordinators
Kym Walton
Loxton Node
Node Team Leader
Fiona Tomney
Minnipa Node
Melissa Horgan
Port Augusta Node
Joanne Ridsdale
Orroroo Node
This project received funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund
About the Future Drought Fund
The $5 billion Future Drought Fund provides secure, continuous funding for drought resilience initiatives. It will help Australian farms and communities prepare for the impacts of drought.
The FDF is part of the government’s Drought Response, Resilience and Preparedness Plan, supporting Australian farmers and communities to be sustainable and productive.
About the Drought Resilience Research and Adoption Program
Future Drought Fund
Drought Resilience Self Assessment Tool
Climate Services for Agriculture Program
Natural Resource Management Drought Resilience Program
Drought Resilience Research and Adoption
Networks to Build Drought Resilience
Drought Resilient Leaders
Regional Drought Resilience Planning
The Drought Resilience Research and Adoption Program has been allocated funding of $117.3 million to 2023-24.
The objective of this program is to invest into collaborative research, development, extension, adoption and commercialisation (RDEA&C) activities. These activities will help primary producers and rural and regional communities to become more prepared for, and resilient to, future droughts.
The program has the following interconnected elements: innovation hubs, innovation grants, research and adoption investment plan, and a science to practice forum.
Adoption and Innovation Hubs
Eight Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hubs in regional Australia.
Hubs will be located in regions within major climatic and agricultural zones across Australia.
Hubs will facilitate transformational change through co-design of RDEA&C activities.
Opportunity for farmers, researchers, local entrepreneurs, Indigenous groups, NRM practitioners, and industry and community groups to work together.
Collaboration will enable user-centred innovation, research and adoption where it is needed.
Innovation Grants
Drought Resilience Innovation Grants are available for research organisations, the private sector, industry, not-for-profit organisations and community groups.
Grants will support development, extension, adoption and commercialisation projects co-designed to deliver targeted solutions to drought resilience priorities.
Contact Us
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Or email — sadroughthub@adelaide.edu.au