Four major projects to boost resilience against drought and climate variability in northern Queensland will soon get off the ground after securing a share of $350,000 funding from the Tropical North Queensland Drought Resilience Grant Scheme.
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Tropical North Queensland Drought Hub director Professor David Phelps said the new grant funding initiative was open to organisations throughout north Queensland.
"We were looking for great ideas from community groups, not-for-profits, primary producers, and agribusiness that would help the agricultural sector and communities become more drought and climate resilient," Professor Phelps said.
"The projects needed to demonstrate tangible benefits in implementing or accelerating the adoption of new technologies, knowledge sharing, and enhancing the capacity for farms and communities to adopt and sustain these practices and programs."
Professor Phelps said the rigorous assessment process took into consideration the needs and challenges faced by each grant recipient, with funding awarded to James Cook University, Gulf Savannah Natural Resource Management, Southern Gulf Natural Resource Management and Terrain Natural Resource Management.
Recipients were also required to commit to a co-contribution towards the project.
"James Cook University will evaluate the drivers of bare soil and use their insight to inform land management strategies and rehabilitation approaches. This research will improve productivity and profitability for farmers whilst minimising environmental impacts," Professor Phelps said.
"Gulf Savannah NRM will investigate the adoption of silvopastoral systems, which integrates tree growing with the production of livestock as a drought-resilience strategy. This system offers alternative animal feed sources and provides income diversification for farming enterprises, which is key in the face of drought.
"Southern Gulf NRM will develop a satellite-based water mapping tool to help landholders plan future water infrastructure improvements. This tool aims to reduce dependency on farm dams, which are often unreliable sources of water, and transition to a more dependable piped water supply that enables landholders to effectively manage water resources.
"Terrain NRM will showcase their innovative soil technology that improves pasture quality, fertility and resilience. In collaboration with a local dairy farmer, they will demonstrate its capabilities next year, where they hope to encourage farmers to adopt the technology."
The projects are due for completion by June 2024, and Professor Phelps said they expect the outcomes to have long lasting benefits.
