This project will strengthen Kangaroo Island farmers drought resilience by building landholder and staff capacity in whole-of-farm planning and decision-making by supporting the development of Property Management Plans (PMPs). PMPs will assist primary producers to identify priority actions and integrate land management and business and financial planning and document how the priority actions can be implemented in a practical, structured, and financially sound manner.

Project description: 

This project supports improved farm operational decision-making through strengthened farm management planning processes and practical decision support tools. Farmers will be supported to establish clear trigger points that guide management actions during seasonal variability, alongside benchmarking tools that help identify business risks, opportunities and pathways to improve long-term resilience.

A strong focus of the project is improving soil and land management practices through the adoption of technologies and innovations that maintain soil health and function. Activities aim to increase the water and nutrient holding capacity of soils, maintain adequate ground cover to minimise erosion risk and protect soil function during variable seasons and drought, and better match soil and land capability with appropriate production systems to ensure sustainable land use.

Livestock and fodder management strategies will support producers to optimise animal production and welfare leading into and during drought conditions across livestock, mixed farming and pastoral systems. This includes improving assessment of feed availability, strengthening use of feed budgeting tools and resources, and promoting best practice confinement feeding management to optimise nutrition, husbandry outcomes and animal welfare.

The project also addresses crop and pasture management through practices and technologies that improve management of moisture availability and reduce impacts of heat stress on production systems. Complementary water security and management activities will focus on improving on-farm water capture, storage and retention to strengthen resilience during dry periods.

In addition, the project invests in upskilling advisers, researchers and key industry influencers to strengthen their ability to engage growers and regional communities in the co-design and delivery of drought resilience initiatives.

Project delivery will support up to 15 farming businesses to develop Property Management Plans through one-on-one consultations, alongside four topic-specific workshops and the establishment of a Community of Practice to encourage ongoing peer-to-peer learning, collaboration and knowledge sharing across participating producers.

Key achievements and results: 

As of mid-2026, the project continues to demonstrate the value of combining group learning with tailored, one-on-one specialist support. Rather than providing generic advice, participants receive property-specific recommendations across soil health, water management, business planning and landscape management, allowing them to develop practical management plans that reflect their own enterprises and production goals.

A key lesson emerging from the project is that technical knowledge alone is not enough to drive practice change. Ongoing mentoring, practical support and confidence-building have proven essential in helping producers move from learning about new practices to implementing them on their own properties.

Project progress includes:

• Nineteen Kangaroo Island properties are participating in the program, with tailored property management planning support provided across a diverse range of sheep, cattle, cropping and mixed farming enterprises.
• Specialist one-on-one support has been delivered across natural sequence farming, soil health, farm business planning and sap analysis, providing participants with practical recommendations tailored to their individual properties.
• Soil and sap testing completed across participating properties has provided producers with baseline information to guide nutrient management and property planning, with several participants already implementing tailored foliar nutrition programs.
• Group learning activities covering water management, soil health, leadership and communication have been directly linked to individual property management plans, helping participants apply workshop learnings through practical on-farm actions.
• Feedback from participants has highlighted the value of combining technical expertise with practical, farm-specific support, with the program recognised for helping producers make informed decisions and confidently implement change.