Project snapshot
Alignment with RDA strategy
- Economic development
Alignment with RDA strategy
- Economic development
Turning resilience strategy into reality
Following extensive community consultation and stakeholder engagement across the Adelaide Hills, Fleurieu Peninsula and Kangaroo Island, the Regional Drought Resilience Plan (RDRP) has been completed, approved and launched.
How the plan aims to strengthen regional resilience
With a comprehensive plan in place, the focus now turns to implementation to connect our communities, producers and businesses with the resources, programs and support the plan identifies.
The AHFKI region’s farms, vineyards and grazing lands produce world-renowned food, wine and agricultural products. However, these industries rely on reliable winter rainfall that has been declining for decades.
With temperatures rising and more time spent in drought projected to the end of the century, resilience here means more than recovering from drought. It means adapting and transforming, where needed, so farms, businesses and communities can maintain and improve their wellbeing as conditions change.
The plan responds to these realities with a practical, community-led framework for building long-term resilience across primary production, the environment and our communities and is structured around six interconnected goals:
Primary Production
Innovative, diversified and sustainable producers prepared for a variable climate.
Environmental Management
Healthy, resilient soil, water and biodiversity that sustain productive landscapes.
Infrastructure & Services
Infrastructure that supports businesses and communities to connect, function and thrive.
Community Health & Wellbeing
Strong, connected communities learning and working together for a positive future.
Financial Management
Maintaining financial stability through drought and changing conditions.
Drought Plan Governance
Effective, locally-led resilience building that reflects the region’s unique needs.
The RDRP covers the Adelaide Hills, Fleurieu Peninsula, McLaren Vale and Kangaroo Island, recognising that drought resilience looks different across each of these communities and landscapes. Implementation will involve councils, landscape boards, industry groups and government agencies working together, led by the AHFKI Drought Resilience Steering Committee.
Introducing our Drought Resilience Lead
To drive the plan’s implementation, we have appointed the region’s first dedicated Drought Resilience Lead. This role, auspiced by RDA AHFKI, reflects the Steering Committee’s commitment to turning the plan’s goals into real outcomes for the region.
Drought Resilience Lead
As the region’s point of contact for the RDRP, Markus will identify gaps in current drought support and connect councils, community groups and primary producers with relevant funding and programs.
CONTACT M: 0481 369 954 | EMAIL →
Markus brings direct, firsthand experience of how drought affects communities. Before settling on the Fleurieu Peninsula, he built and led national disaster relief efforts, working alongside communities facing drought and other natural disasters right across Australia. That experience now drives his focus closer to home.
I have seen the long-term toll drought takes on communities across Australia, and am committed to making sure our region is better supported through future dry periods.
Markus Bucy, Drought Resilience Lead
My job is to work with stakeholders across the region to identify genuine need, source effective solutions and connect them to funding so they can adapt, reorganise and transform in consideration of changing temperature and rainfall conditions.
Additional support currently available
You don’t have to wait for longer-term strategies to take effect to find support now. Whether you’re already feeling the pressure of dry conditions or planning ahead, the following RDA AHFKI initiatives are available today:
FREE Small Business Mentoring
Our Small Business Mentoring Program connects drought affected business owners with experienced business mentors who understand the unique pressures facing regional businesses. Tap into free advice tailored to the specific challenges your business is facing.
Hills & Coast Grant Finder
RDA Adelaide Hills, Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island have teamed up with each of the regions’ councils to deliver the Hills & Coast Grant Finder – a grant funding solution for individuals, community groups, businesses and organisations to find, save and manage grants.
Stay Informed
Improving drought preparedness for the Adelaide Hills, Fleurieu Peninsula, and Kangaroo Island is a crucial initiative, and the RDR Plan is an important step towards helping our region better manage future climate conditions.
For more information and updates about drought planning and resilience, you can follow us on social media or subscribe to our newsletter using the links below.