In November 2021, an additional $7 million from the 2021-22 Federal Budget was provided to continue development of the Climate Services for Agriculture platform into 2022-23.
A prototype digital platform
The first release of the prototype Climate Services for Agriculture (CSA) digital platform enables Australian farmers to access historical climate information and future projections in one location.
The first-generation prototype draws on existing national datasets to present historical and projected climate information at a 5 km2 scale - including rainfall, temperature, heat risk, frost risk and evapotranspiration. Seasonal forecasts are not included in this first version of the prototype but may be integrated in future.
The prototype is just the beginning. We’re going to keep working with farmers in 8 pilot regions to understand how future climate could impact the commodities they produce and provide practical information to assist with business planning.
We need feedback from farmers and others working in the agricultural sector to make sure the platform is practical and meets your needs – log on, look around and tell us what you think!
Explore the prototype
Access the prototype with the following credentials:
- username: csa
- password: demo
Please note:
- The platform is in prototype phase and will be developed into an operational platform by June 2023.
- The prototype is being used to deliver relevant data and insights at national scale and is focussed on the 8 pilot regions for consultation, evaluation and feedback purposes.
- The prototype is best viewed on a desktop computer using Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome or Safari.
- System performance may be variable for some locations in Australia.
User engagement in pilot regions
8 pilot regions have been identified to focus engagement with farmers on the development of the CSA platform and the related Drought Resilience Self-Assessment Tool (DR.SAT).
The initial 4 pilot regions announced in March 2021 include:
- Queensland Dry Tropics – including the Burdekin Dry Tropics Region. Key centres include Townsville, Charters Towers and Bowen.
- Condamine and the Northern Tablelands – including the Condamine catchment and Northern Tablelands NRM regions. Key centres include Toowoomba, Stanthorpe, Warwick, Armidale and Glen Innes.
- Victorian Mallee and south-east South Australia – including the Sunraysia and Wimmera / Mallee regions of Victoria and Riverland and Mallee regions of South Australia. Key centres include Mildura, Swan Hill, Renmark, Berri, Ouyen and Horsham.
- Western Australian Wheatbelt – including the Wheatbelt NRM region and surrounding areas. Key centres include Northam and Narrogin.
The additional 4 pilot regions announced in November 2021 include:
- Tropical North – including coastal Queensland between Townsville and Cooktown, the NT Katherine region and north-eastern WA in the Ord River region. Key centres include Cairns, Darwin, Katherine, and Kununurra.
- Central West New South Wales – including the broad-acre cropping regions. Key centres include Dubbo, Parkes, and West Wyalong.
- Riverina and Goulburn-Murray – including the irrigated area within the southern Murray-Darling Basin. Key centres include Shepparton and Griffith.
- Gippsland and Northern Tasmania – including the irrigated and non-irrigated dairy and vegetable growing regions. Key centres include Bairnsdale, Sale, Yarram, Burnie, and Launceston.
Indicative boundaries are shown on the map below:
Further information on how to participate is provided in the Questions and Answers (below) or by contacting DroughtResilience@agriculture.gov.au.
Questions and Answers
| March 2021 |
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| July 2021 |
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| July – November 2021 |
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| December 2021 |
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| January – May 2022 |
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| June 2022 |
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| 2022-2023 |
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We’re looking for people working in agriculture in each pilot region to participate in user-engagement activities up until June 2023.
This includes farmers, farm advisers and natural resource managers, as well as businesses servicing agriculture, such as agricultural suppliers and people working in business financing and banking.
Different options will be available for participation, depending on your time, interest, and availability.
Once you’ve registered your interest by emailing DroughtResilience@agriculture.gov.au, we’ll be in touch with further details.
For more information or to express your interest in participating, please email DroughtResilience@agriculture.gov.au.
As a participant, you may be invited to attend regular workshops or participate in interviews with product developers from November 2021 to June 2023. Depending on your time, interest, and availability, you could be involved in:
- helping to develop climate information products, to assist farm businesses understand future climate and how that could impact the key commodities in their region
- providing input into the design, function and content of the new CSA digital platform
- defining information needs and designing the look and feel of the DR.SAT
Key activities are likely to include:
- online and/or face-to-face group workshops
- one-on-one interviews
- website testing, surveys, and other online activities.
Recordings of the first series of online workshops held in pilot regions in October and November 2021 are available on request by emailing DroughtResilience@agriculture.gov.au.
This will depend on the type of activity you are involved in, your interests and availability.
Activities could occur online, in-person or over the phone.
Once you’ve registered your interest, we will be in touch to provide further details and discuss options for participation.
You can still get involved, even if you live outside of a pilot region. The CSA platform includes regional scale climate projections for all of Australia. You can provide feedback within the prototype or by emailing DroughtResilience@agriculture.gov.au.
You can explore the DR.SAT prototype and provide feedback or register your interest to participate in the engagement by completing this survey.
Funding information
The table below details the payment information for the Climate Services for Agriculture program, as required under the Future Drought Fund Act 2019.
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
To develop an interactive digital platform bringing together a variety of climate information specifically for farmers and the agricultural sector, in conjunction with the Bureau of Meteorology.
| Total amount payable | Date of first payment | Amount of first payment | Total amount paid | Total amount still to be paid (by June 2022) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $6,128,028 | 2 February 2021 | $612,802.80 | $2,144,809.80 | $3,983,218.2 |
Bureau of Meteorology
To develop an interactive digital platform bringing together a variety of climate information specifically for farmers and the agricultural sector, in conjunction with CSIRO.
| Total amount payable | Date of first payment | Amount of first payment | Total amount paid | Total amount still to be paid (by June 2022) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $3,871,673 | 2 February 2021 | $387,167.40 | $1,355,086 | $2,516,587 |
Factsheet
Find out more about the program with the Future Drought Fund Climate Services for Agriculture Program factsheet.
Download
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