The AFI and Alluvium Consulting Australia have been engaged by the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment to consult nationally and prepare a Drought Resilience Investment Plan which will help guide how resources from the FDF Research and Adoption Program are allocated.

The plan will utilise input from community, farmers and innovation providers to ensure there's a robust body of evidence that reflects the needs of rural and regional communities.

Alluvium and AFI will be engaging with stakeholders to prepare the Investment Plan via online workshops, starting this week.

The engagement process will help to:
* Develop and verify a shared understanding of what drought resilience means - in practical terms for research users and research providers.
* Develop a shared understanding of the challenges and barriers to achieving drought resilience in the short, medium, and long term.
* Understand what actions are jointly needed to take to improve the drought resilience of agricultural communities, enterprises, and ecosystems.
* Share and seek feedback on existing investigations of possible priorities.

Workshops will be regionally focused where possible - although people can join an 'out of area' workshop if available. Registrations are required for the workshops which are scheduled as follows:

* North (tropical QLD, NT and northern WA) - 29 April
* East (Southern QLD and NSW) - 29 April
* Southeast (VIC and TAS) - 6 May
* South (SA and southern WA) - 6 May

Please register for the workshops via https://consultnce.engagementhub.com.au/droughtresilience