Wellington Shire Council has an ongoing commitment to support drought affected farmers across our municipality. Droughts can have a significant impact on communities, affecting water supply, agriculture, and overall well-being. Being prepared for droughts is essential to ensure that you, your family, and your community can cope with the challenges that arise.

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Understanding drought

Put simply, drought occurs when there's not enough rain. It is a prolonged, abnormally dry period when the amount of available water is insufficient to meet our normal use. In Australia, we have highly variable rainfall. A lot of this variation - but not all - can be explained by what's happening in the climate system. Australia's climate is affected by a number of different drivers and some of them influence rainfall.

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Drought preparedness steps

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Create a drought management plan

Develop a comprehensive plan for how your household, farm or community will manage water scarcity. Outline steps to conserve water, allocate resources efficiently, and maintain essential services.

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Water conservation

Discover effective water-saving techniques for indoor and outdoor use. Learn how to check for leaks and make sustainable choices when using water in your daily routines both in and outside your home.

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Build a drought emergency kit

Prepare a kit with essential supplies such as bottled water, non-perishable food, medication, and hygiene items. This kit will help you sustain your needs during periods of water scarcity.

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Collect rainwater

Explore rainwater harvesting techniques to collect and store rainwater for later use. This can be an excellent way to reduce water demand during droughts.

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Landscaping resilience

Learn about drought-resistant plants and landscaping practices that require less water. Transform your garden into an environmentally friendly oasis that conserves water.

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Community engagement

Collaborate with neighbours and local organisations to raise awareness about drought preparedness. Organise workshops, webinars, or community events to share knowledge and build a stronger, more resilient community.

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Resources and Tools

• Drought monitoring
• Managing resources
• Water efficiency

Personal support

Mental and physical health support is provided through local community mental health services and private providers as well as the National Centre for Farmer Health program.

National Centre for Farmer health

The National Centre for Farmer Health provides research, workshops and other programs to improve the health, safety and wellbeing of farm workers, their families and communities across Australia. The centre is a partnership between Western District Health Service and Deakin University based in Hamilton. For more information, visit www.farmerhealth.org.au or call 03 5551 8533.

Victorian Better Health Channel

The Department of Health Better Health Channel provides health and medical information that is quality assured, reliable, up to date, easy to understand, regularly reviewed and locally relevant.

• Coping with stress
• Suggestions for families in crisis
• Losing the farm
• Alcohol and depression

Animal health and welfare

Farmers have legal obligations to protect the welfare of livestock on their property. Drought calls for hard economic decisions to be made, particularly on the fate of stock. Take action early to minimise the impacts. Animal health in a drought provides important information to aid decision making.

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Drought assistance

Please call the Farmer Assistance Hotline on 132 316 for information on the Commonwealth Government's support services available to farmers and rural communities, such as the Farm Household Allowance or visit www.agriculture.gov.au/agriculture-land.