10 November 2021

Future Drought Fund fostering a new generation of drought resilient leaders in Tasmania

  • The Australian Government is investing more than $11 million in the Future Drought Fund’s Drought Resilience Leaders program
  • The program gives farmers and others in regional communities the opportunity to gain knowledge and skills through leadership development and mentoring to help build local drought resilience
  • 4 mentees and 2 mentors have been selected in Tasmania for round 1 of the mentoring program

The Australian Government is investing in building drought resilient leaders through the $5 billion Future Drought Fund (FDF).

Minister for Agriculture and Northern Australia, David Littleproud said 4 mentees and 2 mentors have been selected in Tasmania in round 1 of the FDF Drought Resilience Leaders mentoring program.

“We are partnering with the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation (ARLF) to create a new generation of drought resilient leaders,” Minister Littleproud said.

“The mentoring program joins farmers and those with a close connection to agriculture with experienced industry professionals for a chance to learn about drought preparedness from those who have lived and worked through the issue themselves.”

Assistant Minister Jonno Duniam said the program will bring participants together to share knowledge and experience.

“Farming skills, including drought resilience, are passed down from generation to generation. This program is about facilitating those connections to benefit farming communities here in Tasmania,” Assistant Minister Duniam said.

“The mentoring program will continue with 300 mentees matched with 250 mentors nationally. I’d encourage any interested farmers and those employed in the agricultural sector to contact ARLF to find out how they can get involved.”

The Future Drought Fund is creating a new generation of young and emerging leaders and encouraging learning and knowledge sharing to benefit Australian agriculture and the communities and livelihoods that depend on it.

For more information on the FDF: https://www.agriculture.gov.au/ag-farm-food/drought/future-drought-fund

For more information on the ARLF: https://rural-leaders.org.au/our-programs/drought-resilience-leaders/

 

Fast Facts:

  • Applications for round 2 of the program close on 19 November 2021; a third round will open in January 2022.
  • A sub-component of the Drought Resilience Leaders program is a national webinar series open to everyone. The series continues to June 2022 with the second webinar on 18 November 2021.