The Regional Drought Resilience Planning (RDRP) Program

The RDRP Program has been established under the Australian Government’s $5 billion Future Drought Fund, which invests in building resilience to drought for farmers, allied industries and regional communities.

This fund is allocating $100M annually to projects that support farmers and communities to become more prepared for and resilient to the impacts of drought. 

The State Government is committed to ensuring WA’s regions are equipped to manage the impacts of drought through being more prepared and resilient. The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) is matching the federal government investment in the RDRP Program in WA and working with Regional Development Commissions across the state to develop 6 Regional Drought Resilience Plans in 2024.

The Pilbara Development Commission is working with the Kimberley Development Commission to deliver a drought resilience plan for the northwest of WA. The plan will be community-led and owned and focused on supporting communities to become more prepared for and resilient to the impacts of drought.

The Commissions will collaborate with local stakeholders and communities to produce a plan that:

  • Identifies strategies to mitigate the impacts of drought on communities, agriculture, and natural resources;
  • Strengthens community resilience to withstand the challenges posed by climate variability and extremes;
  • Enhances the sustainable management of natural resources to mitigate the effects of drought on ecosystems and biodiversity; and
  • Positions the regions for investment opportunities that promote economic growth and development despite drought conditions.

The Kimberley – Pilbara Regional Drought Resilience Plan is expected to be completed and approved by the Australian Government by December 2024.

The stakeholder consultation process was carried out in Apil/June and it engaged 85 people from 70 different entities covering 7 sectors (agriculture, local government, businesses, NRM, First Nations and more). Numerous project ideas were captured under the themes of water, resilient agriculture systems, resilient landscapes, resilient communities and resilient economy and grouped into small wins, medium- and long-term projects. These actions will inform the RDRP. Other documents that will inform the RDRP are the Pilbara Drought Vulnerability Assessment and the Pilbara Background and Context Report. These were developed as part of the RDR planning process.

The RDRP is being drafted and will be released for public comment in October.

For further information on the Regional Drought Resilience Planning Program for:

For further information on the program visit:

  • Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment: https://www.agriculture.gov.au/agriculture-land/farm-food-drought/drought/future-drought-fund/regional-drought-resilience-planning
  • Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development: wa.gov.au/regional-drought-resilience-planning

This project is one of eight foundational programs under the Australian Governments $5 billion Future Drought Fund which is a long-term investment fund helping Australian farmers and communities become more prepared for, and resilient to the impacts of drought.

“Together, through collaborative efforts and proactive measures, we can build resilient communities that thrive despite the challenges posed by climate variability and extremes.”