Dealing with the impacts of climate variability is a challenge for our whole community. We need to prepare for increasing variability in our region’s climate and make ourselves more resilient to extreme weather.

It’s never been more important to get together as a community and help each other manage and bounce back from climate-related challenges.

Based on long-term observations, temperatures in the Murray Murrumbidgee Region have been increasing since about 1950, with higher temperatures experienced in recent decades.

Spring and summer are projected to experience the greatest increases in maximum temperatures, increasing by 2.4°C in the far future. Increased maximum temperatures are known to impact human health through heat stress and increasing the numbers of heatwave events.

Rainfall is projected to decrease in spring and to increase in autumn. Severe and average Forest Fire Danger Index is projected to increase. Severe fire weather for the region is projected to decrease in autumn in the near future.

Managing climate risk is about being ready to adapt to changes. For future generations in Albury and the region to enjoy the quality of life and experiences we currently have, we need to become more resilient to the impacts of climate variability.

This exciting new community venue is dedicated to the presentation of experiences that nurture creativity, connection and curiosity in an accessible and inspiring environment. It is a place where the community of Wodonga, together with visitors to the city, can encounter, discover and connect with ideas, skills and knowledge.

Hyphen features several galleries – Artspace Gallery, Playspace Gallery and Community Gallery – as well as a full library service.

It also features three meeting rooms - the Community Studio overlooking the courtyard suitable for workshops, meetings and presentations, Creative Studio for resident artists, Tech Studio and Sound Studio, and, a Sculpture Terrace.

Murray Art Museum Albury hides one of Albury’s best kept retail secrets! MAMA Store is a showcase of independent Australian designers, local makers and artists, with a spotlight on the Murray region.

Much of the RDA Murray Regions’ economy is driven by agriculture, timber production, viticulture, horticulture, health care, retail, manufacturing, construction and tourism.

Of critical importance to the RDA Murray Region is water availability. The Region is situated on the Murray River and is reliant on the river system for its contribution to production, tourism and liveability.

The Australian nut industry is experiencing its largest expansion in a decade with the farm gate value expected to rise from $1billion in 2018 to $1.7 by 2025. Permanent nut tree infrastructure (including irrigation) and plantings are expanding significantly in the Murray Region

Albury-Wodonga is a vibrant regional centre situated on the border of NSW and Victoria. It is home to a great range of shops, theatre, cafés and restaurants, and just a stone’s throw from snowfields and wine regions.

Thurgoona has received international attention for its environmentally sensitive design and focus on sustainable living. It stretches over 87 hectares including wetlands and has a distinct focus on native flora and fauna, and a herbarium.

The Albury City site includes networked libraries, anatomy and physiology laboratories, and a podiatry clinic.

The Snowy 2.0 - Pumped Hydro Expansion project is an expansion of the existing hydro system, linking two dams and constructing an underground power station between them that will ensure clean affordable energy.

There are two large projects to construct high-capacity electricity interconnectors that will enable greater integration of renewable energy in the National Electricity Market, improve security of electricity supply and reduce costs to business and households.

Balranald has two of the largest solar farm projects in the southern hemisphere underway -
Sunraysia - 255 megawatts, and Limondale - 349 megawatts.

Agriculture is a key industry in the Murray, both economically and for the unique scenic and environmental qualities of the rural lands.

There is a rich diversity of agricultural commodities and highly innovative in the processing and development of food and beverage products. The area is particularly important for broadacre crops, pigs, beef, dairy and wool production.

The Mediterranean climate, reliable high-quality water supplies, mostly flat ground and well-drained soils provide important agricultural lands suitable for cropping, horticulture and grazing.

Water trading has driven water into higher value irrigated businesses and environmental water recovery has reduced water availability throughout the Murray Darling Basin.

Challenges for agriculture are connected to climate change, commodity prices and in some areas, land use conflict and right to farm.

The Defence Riverina Murray Alliance (DMRA) is a regional network of government, partner organisations and industry operating throughout the Riverina Murray regions of NSW.

Although Defence facilities in the Murray Riverina are predominantly centred around Wagga Wagga, there is a strong industry base in the Albury Wodonga region in advanced manufacturing, communications and technologies. Defence industry in the Murray Riverina is focused on military training, specialised contract engineering, propellant and military explosive manufacturing and includes design, engineering remote control systems and munitions disposal.

Defence investment is already one of the drivers of employment and economic growth in many regional centres. The defence industry is a major employer and attractor of skilled workers in regional NSW and the local economy also benefits from the movement of skilled workers out of Defence and defence industries into local education and technology-dependent sectors.

The Murray region is home to the winding Murray River and its waterways, Lake Hume - six times larger than Sydney Harbour, an array of food, cultural icons, contemporary museums, linkages to our migrant history, our indigenous people and with secret resting spots around every corner.

New South Wales is transitioning to a circular economy over the next 20 years. This means we will minimise what we throw away and use and reuse our resources efficiently, making them as productive as possible. We will end up with less waste, less emissions, less harm to our environment and more jobs. The move will boost innovation and help drive our economy.

Advanced Manufacturing in the region is largely based around food and agricultural products processing. But there is a growing ICT industry in the region focused on software and hardware development in support of agriculture.

Australia’s economy is becoming more dependent on ideas and problem-solving, with the largest increase in jobs in Australia being those that require higher-level qualifications.

The transition towards a ‘knowledge economy’ has been driven by globalisation and a re-organisation of business, with enterprises and individuals becoming specialised through the outsourcing of non-core business functions assisted by the use of new and constantly evolving digital technologies.

Armidale Regional Council declared a Climate Emergency at the Ordinary Council Meeting on 23 October 2019.

A report - A Framework for Climate Action - was subsequently prepared by a working group of the Environment and Sustainability Advisory Group, the Climate Emergency Working Group.
The report provides recommendations on current initiatives and additional future actions that may be undertaken in the short, medium and long term.

These include:
1. Reduce greenhouse emissions aiming, by 2030, for no additional contribution from our region to the global temperature rise;
2. Adapt to current and anticipated climate change impacts;
3. Reduce atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, e.g. Sequester and store carbon in trees and soils.
The Climate Emergency Working Group (CEWG) was formed in March 2020 and an Interim report was provided to Council in April 2020 with their final report A Framework for Climate Action (PDF 856.3KB) tabled at the ESAC meeting on 10 August and as part of the committee minutes at the Ordinary Council Meeting on the 19 August 2020.
A $60,000 budget allocation in alignment to the Community Strategic Plan and Delivery Program was provided in the 2020/21 budget. Any further initiatives identified in the report developed by CEWG would need to be considered by Council and funding allocated in future budgets. The final funding split has been allocated to:
• Solar panels at Monckton Aquatic Centre; community education and risk analysis on outcome of climate change

There are a number of significant arts and cultural facilities in the Armidale region including the New England Regional Art Museum (housing two of the most important and extensive collections of Australian art in regional Australia), the New England Conservatorium of Music, the Aboriginal Cultural Centre and Keeping Place, Saumarez Homestead, and several museums located within the towns and the university.

Armidale is also well placed to take advantage of the opportunities NBN technology provides in finding new and innovative ways to communicate with and grow audiences as well as to support creative businesses which are digitally focused.

The Armidale Region’s largest employers include the education and training sector, health care, retail trade, agriculture and the accommodation and food services sector.

The industry sectors which drive the region’s economy in terms of regional exports, employment and industry value-added include Agri-business, Tourism and Education. These are the three ‘pillars’ of the Armidale regional economy.

The region has established education facilities, including Australia’s oldest regional university the University of New England, emerging technology-based clusters, and leading research and development facilities including animal genetics and breeding centres.

The tertiary education sector is at the frontier of the knowledge economy and Armidale is home to the University of New England (UNE).

The University conducts research on food security, health and resilience, and has clusters focused on agricultural science, environment, IT, health and creative arts.
UNE’s SMART Farm serves as a test-site for researching new technologies, including broadband connectivity in an effort to improve productivity, environmental sustainability, safety, workflow and social/business support networks on Australian farms.

The Northern Inland region is dominated by resource-based agricultural activity, including a high dependence on irrigated agriculture in some locations. When flow-on effects are included, agriculture accounts for 40-50% of economic activity in some localities.
Beef, Lamb, Cotton, Grains, Dairy and Horticulture are the primary agricultural sectors supported by an advisory and IT services industry.

The UNE Centre for Agribusiness and the UNE Smart Region Incubator underpin local strengths in agribusiness, rural science, agricultural economics, soil science and livestock production.

The Innovation for Regional Success (IRS) group supports the development, sustainability and liveability of regional communities in Australia and internationally through research focused on regional innovation, entrepreneurship and capacity building.

Expanded mining activity is also a key feature of some local economies including Gunnedah, Narrabri and Werris Creek. The region has a rich mining heritage and during the latest mining boom there was much exploration and discovery locally.

Halls Peak Base Metals – Zinc, Lead, Copper, Silver and Gold
Guyra District – Bauxite, Tin, Gold, Diamonds and Gemstones
Hillgrove – Antimony and Gold

Visitors are attracted to the Armidale Region for a variety of reasons including sporting events, UNE events, visiting friends and relatives and availing themselves of the region’s recreational and cultural activities.

The region is home to spectacular waterfalls and gorges, award-winning cool-climate wineries, boutique shopping, award-winning coffee shops and restaurants, elegant cathedrals, pastoral homesteads and other heritage buildings, fascinating museums and galleries as access to world heritage natural wonders.

Armidale stands out as a significant education centre with an established university, TAFE and network of independent and public schools. Armidale has a thriving digital economy, community services, recreational parks and sporting facilities, all of which have created employment and business opportunities.

Armidale also has an impressive recycling rate with only four per cent of household and business waste making it to landfill. We are all working together when it comes to recycling and protecting the ecosystems of our environment, both local and beyond.

NSW’s North Coast region is one of the most ecologically diverse areas of NSW. It contains world heritage rainforests, 9 major river catchments, and vast beaches. The North Coast’s environments support iconic towns and thriving tourism and agricultural industries.

Climate change is already affecting the North Coast, particularly through increased temperatures. Projections show temperatures are expected to keep rising, rainfall patterns will change, and fire weather will increase.