Episode 8: Empowering climate adaptation at a local level

05/09/23 • 40 min

Rainfall levels for many parts of Australia haven’t recovered since the devastating millennium drought. Many rural communities are having to face a reality of landscapes and climate that have already changed, and are likely to continue to do so. So, what makes an effective climate adaptation initiative?

Following on from the previous episode about creating innovation systems on a national or regional scale, this episode looks at how innovation systems can function on a much smaller, local scale. We examine local innovation systems, through the lens of addressing the challenges of climate change in agriculture and in rural communities.

How are local water corporations, local government, scientists and community groups working together to offer effective solutions to drought? How so we make sure all the voices are heard, so that climate adaptation is not ‘top down’ but more grassroots in its design?

This episode draws from the speakers held at a recent Vic Drought and Innovation Hub Think Tank Event, held in Bendigo: “Are We Drought Ready?” Exploring local adaptation

Hear from:

• Prof. Lauren Rickards, Chair of Climate Change Adaptation, La Trobe University

• Caroline Welsh Deputy Chair, GWMWater, member of the Victorian Agriculture Climate Change Council and the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund Consultative Committee.

• Damian Wells, Managing Director at Coliban Water

• Prof Rebecca Lester, Freshwater Ecologist and Director of the Centre for Regional and Rural Futures, Deakin University

• Professor Richard Eckard, Professor of Sustainable Agriculture at the University of Melbourne and Director of the Primary Industries Climate Change Centre

• Dona Cayetana, Community and Partnerships Program Manager, DEECA (Department of Energy Environment and Climate Action)

• Cr Jennifer Alden, Deputy Mayor at the City of Greater Bendigo

View the Vic Hub’s latest research and resources on climate adaptation here.

Listen to Dr Rob Faggian, Associate Professor of Climate Change Adaptation at Deakin University speak about climate modelling for agriculture.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
AR6 Synthesis Report (SYR)
Tati Tati Kaiejin - Resources

This podcast has been created by the Victoria Drought Resilience Innovation and Adoption Hub and is funded through the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.

This episode draws from the speakers held at a recent Vic Drought and Innovation Hub Think Tank Event, held in Bendigo: “Are We Drought Ready?” Exploring local adaptation

Hear from:

• Prof. Lauren Rickards, Chair of Climate Change Adaptation, La Trobe University

• Caroline Welsh Deputy Chair, GWMWater, member of the Victorian Agriculture Climate Change Council and the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund Consultative Committee.

• Damian Wells, Managing Director at Coliban Water

• Prof Rebecca Lester, Freshwater Ecologist and Director of the Centre for Regional and Rural Futures, Deakin University

• Professor Richard Eckard, Professor of Sustainable Agriculture at the University of Melbourne and Director of the Primary Industries Climate Change Centre

• Dona Cayetana, Community and Partnerships Program Manager, DEECA (Department of Energy Environment and Climate Action)

• Cr Jennifer Alden, Deputy Mayor at the City of Greater Bendigo

View the Vic Hub’s latest research and resources on climate adaptation here.

This podcast has been created by the Victoria Drought Resilience Innovation and Adoption Hub and is funded through the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.

Previous Episode

Episode 7: Innovation Systems - The Bigger Picture

What kind of “innovation systems” do we currently have for Australian agriculture?

Well, according to a recent report commissioned by the Federal Government, it could be a lot better.

The report found that while Australia’s agriculture research is internationally renowned and individual farmers are good at adopting new practices, knowledge is often siloed.

Essentially, agricultural innovation in Australia was not designed to operate as a cohesive system, rather it’s made up of multiple institutions and organizations which have developed over time for various locations and commodities.

So how do we change this?

In this episode, we explore how we can work strategically to build an effective “innovation system”. From smart specialization, greater private sector participation to rethinking our water use, there is an opportunity to grow the total funding pool for Australian agriculture and be a global leader.

GUESTS

Nicola Pero - CEO, Food and Fibre Gippsland

David Downie – Strategic Advisor in Regional Development, Deakin University

RESEARCH
Agricultural Innovation — A National Approach to Grow Australia’s Future Summary report March 2019
What is Smart Specialisation - European Commission
Global Agriculture Leadership Initiative - Australian Government, The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

This podcast has been created by the Victoria Drought Resilience Innovation and Adoption Hub and is funded through the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.

Next Episode

Bonus Episode: Wayne Schild - From paramedic to big-thinking, commercial farmer

Wayne Schild's journey from paramedic to commercial farmer has taken guts, vision and plenty of curiosity.
In this bonus episode, we're playing the extended interview with Wayne, who we spoke to in Episode 6 - 'Staying Operational While Innovating'.
Wayne grows garlic in Victoria's Western districts where farmers mainly produce sheep and wool.
It's been a huge journey for his business called Grange Garlic, from the lows of suffering major crop losses, to the highs of finding a way to mechanize his operations - allowing the business to move from artisan to commercial.

"I have no claim or credentials, only that I wanted to be a farmer and I wanted to do something that mattered. I simply have followed the path of authenticity and have refused to go to market with a substandard product. All other ways of processing garlic, in my view, destroy the natural attributes of what garlic has. Everyone knows garlic for its flavour and aroma."

Wayne Schild, Managing Director, Grange Garlic Pty Ltd

This podcast has been created by the Victoria Drought Resilience Innovation and Adoption Hub and is funded through the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.

Innovation Ag - Episode 8: Empowering climate adaptation at a local level

Transcript

Kirsten Diprose:

Innovation Ag is made on the lands of the Gunditjmara and Wurundjeri peoples. We acknowledge the traditional owners of country throughout Australia. We pay our respects to elders past, present, and emerging.

Professor Richard Eckard:

We are now just starting to see the Bureau of Meteorology officially, so the millennium drought never ended.

Prof. Lauren Rickards:

We're going to have a doubling of our population in the next 30 years. Where's the wa