Drought Hub Field Tour
A delegation preparing for future drought visited Mildura in late 2022 to discuss projects and build their knowledge of the region.
Activity information & objectives
The Future Drought Fund hubs advisory committee, Victoria Drought and Innovation Hub and its partners, and senior representatives from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry visited Mildura from 29 November to 1 December 2022.
Hosted by the Mallee Regional Innovation Centre, the visit aimed to build the delegation’s regional knowledge as it works to prepare for future drought. The three-day program also showcased various projects and collaborations between partners and stakeholders. It included a tour of the Merbein Irrigation District, Lower Murray Water treatment plant, Seaway Intermodal, SuniTAFE Smart Farm, Agriculture Victoria Smart Farm, and visits to farms in Wargan.
The event also provided an opportunity to talk about drought consultations being undertaken in the region as ideas from those conversations will provide direction for future work.
Collaborators
- Mallee Regional Innovation Centre (North-West Irrigated Horticulture Node)
- The University of Melbourne
- Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
- Future Drought Fund Hubs Advisory Committee
- Victoria Drought and Innovation Hub
- Agriculture Victoria
- Food and Fibre Gippsland (Gippsland Node)
- Riverine Plains (North-East Node)
- Southern Farming Systems (South-West Node)
- Birchip Cropping Group (North-West Node)
- Deakin University
- Federation University
- La Trobe University
- SuniTAFE
- National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA)
- Mallee Catchment Management Authority (CMA)
- Murray Darling Basin Authority (MDBA)
- Seaway Intermodal Hub Merbein
- Lower Murray Water
- Dried Fruit Growers Australia
- Hunt Farms Wargan
- Curtis Farms Wargan
- Frontier Farming Systems
- Mallee Sustainable Farming
Resources
Event presentations:
- Hive health surveillance system
- Investigating accumulation phenomenon and management strategies for harmful and nuisance blue-green algae in water supply and sludge/washwater recovery systems
- Cross hub project: Modern Drought Management for the Health and Longevity of Perennial Horticulture Plants
- Knowledge Brokering
- Gippsland Node
- Trends in Irrigation Development on the Murray and Lower Darling (Baaka) River Systems
- Horticulture Skills Capacity Framework to Build Resilience and Skills Retention
- South West Victoria Node
- Birchip Cropping Group
- SuniTAFE
- HUB HQ Team
- Victoria Soil Coordinator
Media coverage:
- Time to talk about drought, MRIC newsletter, December 2022
Project lead
Rebecca Wells
CEO, Mallee Regional Innovation Centre
+61 481059730
MRIC-info@unimelb.edu.au