As part of a country renowned for "drought and flooding rains", the Western Plains has certainly experienced both in recent times.

Regional Drought Resilience Planning has just been launched by the Far North-west Joint Organisation (FNWJO) as a way of preparation for future drought events. The program includes seven councils in the Western Plains Economic Region; Cobar, Bourke, Brewarrina, Walgett, Coonamble, Warren and Bogan Local Government Areas.

Barry Hollman, Chair of FNWJO and also Mayor of Bourke Shire Council said he was excited about the launch of the program.

“This is our time to have our say on the effects of drought in our Western communities and propose strategies and actions that will be effective and cater to the needs of our communities," Mr Hollman said. "It is not very often that we get asked to participate in a “ground up approach” to find solutions to the problems we face.”

The planning involves the seven neighbouring councils working together to develop Regional Drought Resilience Plans - with the theory that learnings from previous droughts can help with planning for future droughts.

Agriculture is an obvious stakeholder in drought planning - but other businesses and residents also need to get involved.

Mr Hollman said it was all about being prepared for drought events.

 “We manage our health by being proactive and having regular health checks, exercising and engaging in a balanced diet – we don’t wait for a health crisis like a heart attack before we start doing something,” he said. "Drought is similar – we don’t wait for it to be dry; the ground to be bare and stock to be dying before we start doing something. We need to be talking about drought preparation well before we start using the “D” word”."

“We know and accept that drought is inevitable in Western NSW, we know that it’s only a matter of time so we need to get prepared with a plan of action.”

The planning process will include local farmers, communities and industries to develop a list of localised, realistic and achievable actions for drought preparedness.

Counting on local knowledge

  “Droughts between 2017 and 2020 are still very much in the minds of residents across the region who encountered considerable difficulties during that period – this is an opportunity to change the way we deal with drought in the future I urge everyone to take the opportunity to participate in the consultation process that will be rolled out between Monday 29 January to Friday 9 February 2024 in our region. When the dates for the consultation are confirmed for your community, make a point of being counted,” Mr Hollman urged.

“The impact of drought is not limited to those in the agricultural industry but to the entire community. It’s important that all impacts of drought are considered.” .

Mr Hollman said the project was a great example of all tiers of Government working together to achieve a positive outcome for our communities and taking a proactive approach to mitigating the impact of drought which will undoubtably come all too soon.

After the FNWJO lodged successful applications of behalf of Cobar Bourke, Brewarrina, Walgett, Coonamble, Bogan and Warren Shire Councils, councils were grouped into two consortiums based on their Functional Economic Regions; Consortium 4 - Cobar Bourke, Brewarrina and Walgett Local Government Areas and Consortia 16 - Coonamble, Bogan and Warren Local Government Areas.

The Barwon River at Walgett during drought. IMAGE: Danielle Bonica, ABC

The project has two components; the first the development of a plan for each Consortia Group and the second to implement activities identified in the approved plans.

Community Consultation will involve face to face meetings, online survey or you can just make an enquiry, make a suggestion and share ideas by sending an email to [email protected].