Damian Drum (Nicholls, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In April I was able to announce that the Goulburn Valley would be home to one of Australia's eight Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hubs. This is a great result for the region, made possible through an $8 million investment from the federal government and more than $20 million in contributions from the hub members. The hub will be based at the University of Melbourne's Dookie campus, east of Shepparton, with regional nodes in Birchip, Yarrawonga-Mulwala, Warragul, Inverleigh and Mildura. The hub will operate as a shopfront for farmers to access innovative technologies and practices that will benefit the entire Victorian agricultural sector. As it evolves, the hub is expected to become a flagship precinct for agricultural innovation.

Next week, a little more than two months since the hubs were announced, the inaugural Future Drought Fund Science to Practice Forum will be held. From 29 June to 1 July the forum will bring together the participants of the eight hubs and provide an important opportunity for members, including farmers, industry, agribusinesses and communities, to connect to and develop these real-world solutions. The forum is an opportunity to contribute to the Research and Adoption Investment Plan. This will identify gaps and national priorities for the development of new drought-resilient technologies and practices. The forum is a free event, and I urge researchers, farmers and community representatives to get online and register to take part.