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The Australian Government, in partnership with the Western Australian Government, is conducting a pilot of drought reform measures in part of Western Australia.
The pilot will test a package of new measures developed in response to the national review of drought policy. The measures are designed to move from a crisis management approach to risk management. The aim is to better support farmers, their families and rural communities in preparing for future challenges, rather than waiting until they are in crisis to offer assistance.
The pilot will be in place from 1 July 2010 to 30 June 2011. Payments made under one measure-Building Farm Businesses-will continue until 30 June 2014.
Farm Planning
Farm Planning is a program under the drought pilot. It aims to enhance farmers' skills in business planning, with a particular focus on managing and preparing for drought and a changing climate.
Farm Planning provides assistance for farmers to undertake an approved program of training to develop or update a written strategic plan for their farm business and to have an independent assessment that implementing the plan would lead to a more viable farm business.
The strategic plan will identify priority activities to assist farmers to manage and prepare for future challenges including the impacts of drought and a changing climate. Under the related Building Farm Businesses program, your farm business may be eligible for grants of up to $60 000 to help implement these priority activities.
Completion of Farm Planning is a prerequisite for accessing grants under Building Farm Businesses.
For more information and application form contact the Drought Assistance Hotline on 13 23 16 or visit the DAFWA website http://www.agric.wa.gov.au/PC_94005.html?s=1271596874
Building Farm Businesses
Building Farm Businesses is a program under the drought pilot. The program provides grants to assist eligible farm businesses to manage and prepare for the impacts of drought, reduced water availability and a changing climate.
Under Building Farm Businesses, grants of up to $60 000 per farm business are available, to be paid in instalments over four years from 1 July 2010 to 30 June 2014.
There are two separate grants available under this program.
Farm Business Adaptation Grants-up to $40 000 to help farmers implement eligible activities identified in their strategic plan to manage and prepare for drought, reduced water and a changing climate.
Landcare Adaptation Grants-up to $20 000 to implement eligible activities identified in their strategic plan with a natural resource management focus. These activities will have a broader public benefit and be consistent with state and national natural resource management priorities.
To be eligible for the grants, farmers must have also completed the Farm Planning program under the drought pilot.
For more information and application form contact the Drought Assistance Hotline on 13 23 16 or visit the DAFWA website http://www.agric.wa.gov.au/PC_94005.html?s=1271596874
West Midlands Group Farm Planning Pilot
West Midlands Group is working with Curtin University to pilot the 'Drought Reform Farm Planning' program in the West Midlands and Moore Catchment regions.
The five session program has been designed by Curtin University's Agribusiness Training unit and utilises some of the best farm management facilitators in WA. The program examines all aspects of a farming business including challenges and opportunities, financial health and production, natural resource planning, preparing a quality of life plan for you and your family and preparing a strategic plan to take you and your farm enterprise into the next decade. This is not a program that ‘reinvents the wheel’, it’s aim is to build upon and put into action those plans (be it succession, business or EMS) that your farm business has already undertaken and get them working for you.
10 farm businesses have commited to undertaking this program which began on the 19th of April 2010. This first session looked at 'strategic planning' and the importance of articultating that 'dream' or 'vision', putting a timeframe around it and setting goals to reach that 'vision'.
You can see what the participants got out of this first session by clicking on the following link and watching the short Farm Business Resilience program uTube clips.
For more information contact Project Officer, Penny Keenan on 08 9651 4008 or email
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