This project helped South Australian farmers, communities and agricultural professionals better understand and apply climate information in decision-making through a series of tailored climate resilience workshops. Fourteen workshops were delivered across a range of industries and audiences, exceeding the original target of 12. Topics ranged from seasonal forecasting and climate risk in broadacre cropping to livestock, horticulture, Aboriginal community engagement and university education, helping participants build confidence in using climate information and tools such as MyClimateView.
Project description:
Farmers have access to a wealth of climate information, but often face challenges applying it to practical business decisions. This project addressed that gap by designing and delivering tailored climate resilience workshops for different industries, regions and audiences across South Australia.
The workshops covered practical topics including seasonal forecasting, climate risk, decision analysis, climate change projections and the use of MyClimateView. Rather than providing generic information, each workshop was adapted to suit its audience, including grain growers, livestock producers, horticultural industries, Aboriginal communities, university students, researchers, consultants and government staff.
Over the course of the project, 14 workshops engaged approximately 683 participants. Activities included climate risk workshops for grain growers, Future of Farming workshops in the Upper North, yarning circles with the River Murray and Mallee Aboriginal Corporation, presentations to PIRSA staff, sessions at the Australian Olive Conference and the Barossa Improved Grazing Group conference, and workshops with University of Adelaide students.
The project also strengthened collaboration between the SA Drought Hub, SARDI, PIRSA, GRDC RiskWi$e and regional farming groups, while providing valuable feedback on how South Australian communities are responding to climate variability and changing seasonal conditions.
Key achievements and results:
Project Update – 2025
As at July 2025, six climate resilience workshops have been designed and delivered as part of this project, meeting the project’s initial objective.
Three workshops were delivered in partnership with the River Murray Mallee Aboriginal Corporation (RMMAC) at Berri on March 12th, April 10th, and June 20th, 2025. These workshops were informed by previous Drought Hub partnerships and supported by DEW’s First Nations engagement team. Each session was tailored to the needs of participants, incorporating planning and debrief sessions with RMMAC. Topics covered included the health of the River Murray, impacts of pollution (e.g., algal blooms vs. invisible emissions like CO₂), and climate risks such as increased heatwaves, changing rainfall patterns, and floodplain degradation. The June 20th session made use of a climate risk summary table developed in collaboration with the Landscape Board.
Two further workshops were delivered in partnership with Upper North Farming Systems Group and GRDC RiskWi$e. These took place at Orroroo on February 10th and Wilmington on March 26th, 2025. They featured presentations by Dr Peter Hayman on climate risk, and by Barry Mudge; a consultant and low rainfall farmer, on whole-farm risk management and cost structures. Discussions focused on the steepening profit-by-decile curve, highlighting the growing financial risk in dry seasons due to rising fixed costs and the need for higher break-even yields.
A sixth workshop was held at Cleve on February 28th, 2025, facilitated by consultant James Cant and endorsed by the Agriculture Innovation & Research Eyre Peninsula (AIREP). This session emphasised the use of seasonal forecasting tools to inform in-season decisions such as nitrogen application. Local farmer and consultant Ed Hunt also contributed, presenting insights on whole-farm financial resilience under changing climate conditions.
In addition to the six formal workshops, Peter Hayman presented on climate change at a drought-themed SA AgTech meetup on March 12th, 2025, which was sponsored by the SA Drought Hub.
All events were delivered in the context of the escalating drought in South Australia, with workshop locations in Berri, Orroroo, Wilmington, and Cleve, chosen specifically due to the severe conditions being experienced in those regions.
Project Update – 2026
The project concluded with a presentation at the Barossa Improved Grazing Group Annual Conference, marking the fourteenth and final climate resilience workshop delivered through the project. This final session extended previous workshop content into the livestock sector, focusing on tactical climate risk, seasonal decision-making and practical examples of managing livestock enterprises under uncertain seasonal conditions. It also strengthened collaboration between SARDI Climate Applications and livestock specialists within the SA Drought Hub.
Across the project, the workshops exceeded delivery targets, with 14 workshops engaging approximately 683 participants from farming, government, research, consulting, Aboriginal communities and universities. Participants increased their understanding of historical climate information, seasonal forecasts, climate change projections and decision-making tools, while many gained practical experience using MyClimateView to explore climate information relevant to their own locations.
The project demonstrated the value of tailoring climate information to different audiences and industries, with outcomes ranging from supporting grain growers to use deciles in risk-based decision-making, through to helping Aboriginal communities identify local climate risks and priorities that informed future funding applications. Feedback from the workshops will continue to shape future SA Drought Hub, SARDI and GRDC RiskWi$e activities focused on improving drought preparedness and climate resilience.
Further information: