09-02-2022
Following on from Council’s joint meeting with Hilltops Council and initial advice about the Regional Drought Resilience Program (RDRP), Council resolved at its Ordinary Meeting of January 2022 to enter into a funding agreement with Government to accept funding of $500k for ULSC and Hilltop Councils.
The funding, through Australian Government Future Drought Fund and the NSW Government’s Regional Growth Fund, aims to develop a Drought Resilience Plan for specific areas… in this case, the Upper Lachlan Shire Council LSC and Hilltops Council.
Council General manager Colleen Worthy said the project will help the two Councils better prepare for, respond to and recover from drought.
“We are very fortunate that Hilltops and Upper Lachlan Shire Councils have been invited to participate as one of three council partnerships across New South Wales in this pilot program,” she said.
“In this program, we will work with relevant local stakeholders and community participants to develop options that build resilience and an ability to respond to and recover from drought.
“Drought Resilience Plans will focus on the role of local government in building resilience and will be developed from the perspective that drought is a regional and state development issue… that community level drought resilience depends upon strong primary industries and agricultural supply chain sectors as well as other businesses, community organisations and local government.”
At the January Meeting, Council also resolved to act as the auspicing body for grant reporting purposes for the Drought Resilience Plan for the two Councils, and resolved to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with Hilltops Council to develop the Drought Resilience Plan.
Regional NSW has identified three priority regions using agricultural employment as a measurement for the vulnerability of local economies to drought, alongside other relevant criteria such as water security and alignment of related initiatives under the Future Ready Regions Strategy.
Each region contains two Local Government Areas, with Hilltops Council and Upper Lachlan Councils (this piece of work) representing central NSW in the pilot phase. Drought Resilience Plans will be co-designed with local stakeholders to ensure that plans are relevant and actionable for communities.
In the pilot phase, up to $500,000 will be made available for the preparation of Regional Drought Resilience Plans.