Vic Hub
Gippsland Node Lead

Vic Hub, funded by the Commonwealth of Australia in July 2021, is the shorter name for Victoria Drought Resilience Adoption & Innovation Hub.

Eight of these strategically important hubs have been funded across the country, with one located in the state of Victoria.  Each hub is currently funded through to 2025.

The Vic Hub comprises a consortium of partners:

·        University of Melbourne:  Consortia Lead

·        Agriculture Victoria: Vic Hub Partner

·        Deakin University:  Hub Knowledge Broker

·        Federation University:  Digital Platforms

·        LaTrobe University:  Capacity Building

Five regional Node Leads

o   Gippsland: Food & Fibre Gippsland

o   South-West: Southern Farming Systems

o   North-West: Birchip Cropping Group

o   North-West Irrigated Horticulture: Mallee Regional Innovation Centre

o   North-East: Riverine Plains

The Gippsland node will coordinate locally-based, credible community engagement and projects targeting the four key phases of drought:

  1. Good years

  2. Periods leading into drought (where things could go either way)

  3. Drought

  4. Recovery after drought

Current Gippsland Drought Hub Activities

Funding is being used to support existing producer-led projects managed by Gippsland Agricultural Group (GAgG) and South Gippsland Landcare Network (SGLN). 

Our focus for these projects with GAgG during the next 12 months involves:

  • supporting producers to maximise fodder storage, for the purpose of reducing the reliance on purchased-in conserved feeds (hays and silage);

  • growing more pasture through better management of topsoil;

  • a soil coring program to support farmers to understand and manage soils better; and

  • an extension of the drought adoption officer program across the whole of our region. 

Funding is being provided to SGLN and Deakin University to extend out the sustainable ‘Greening Gippsland’s Dams’ program to reach more farmers and growers across the southern area of the region.

We’ve also received a funding extension for the use of advanced soil moisture sensing programs for the vegetable industry based within the Gippsland region (see information below).  This funding will support on-farm demonstration programs and integrate with existing VegNET Gippsland activities.

For more information about the Vic Hub - Gippsland Node projects, please contact Brodie Anderson, Regional Drought Resilience Officer via email or mobile: 0460 895 232.

 

Our Gippsland program of work supports agriculture, environment, communities, and local government to adapt and transform, and achieve both better preparedness and increased resilience to the impact of drought.

Collaboration is key and innovation is a strong driving force in the intended outcomes. Engagement with producers and ensuring producer-led contribution to projects are central to the Vic Hub program.

Anthony Snow from Snow Rural - participating in the Future Fodder Project - part of the Gippsland Node on the ground activities.

A key role of the university partners is to respond to producer consultations and node leader-proposed projects through research and development, innovative solutions, sharing of knowledge and supporting technology. 

Aligning to federal government expectations, the Drought Hub is certainly not intended to be a business-as-usual program!

Contact us for more information:

Dr Julian Hill - Vic Hub Gippsland Node Lead
e: julian.hill@foodandfibregippsland.com.au

 

Growing Gippsland's drought resilience with
technology and better soil

This project centres around the installation and demonstration of advanced irrigation sensors for Gippsland’s vegetable industry, providing an opportunity for vegetable growers to experiment with using soil moisture monitoring in the context of short-cycle crops, a setting which has not seen much adoption of the technology.

Using soil moisture monitoring is likely to result in more efficient use of water and a decreased risk of nutrient and sediment runoff into waterways as a result of over- or under-watering.

In addition to monitoring their water use, growers are able to gain an understanding of data generated from the soil-based sensors.

Delivered through a partnership with commercial sensor manufacturers and data specialists, the purpose of the project is to build drought resilience among Gippsland’s vegetable producers and concurrently work to reduce the risk of damaging nutrients and sediment finding their way into the Gippsland Lakes.

The project’s objectives are to:

1. increase the water use efficiency of the host landholder over the peak vegetable growing season;

Sensors in field

2. increase the adoption of soil moisture monitoring technology by Gippsland’s intensive vegetable growing industry by the end of the project (currently extended to June 2025); and

3. increase engagement between Gippsland’s intensive vegetable growing industry, Agriculture Victoria and the West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority.

 The Project Reference Group is made up of representatives from:

  • Agriculture Victoria (Alexis Killoran, Billy Marshall, Scott Botten)

  • West Gippsland CMA (Anthony Goode)

  • Elders (Noel Jansz)

  • AUSVEG (EnviroVeg program: Danielle Park)

  • Tripod Farmers (Farm Manager: Walter Chadwick)  

This program is funded by a Natural Resource Management (NRM) Drought Resilience Program Grant, part of the Future Drought Fund.

Click here to view the online launch of program, hosted by former VegNET Regional Development Officer Bonnie Dawson. The launch provides in-depth detail of the program and introduces the industry stakeholders.

For more information, please email our VegNET Regional Development Officer Amanda Gould or call her on 0474 500 380.