Drought hubs empower stakeholders to co-design drought preparedness activities and apply innovation to ensure a thriving future for the region. Hub members, partners and stakeholders apply proven drought-resilience research on the ground to make this happen.

The hub will improve innovation and its adoption across agriculture, industry, and the community.

The 8 hubs support farmers and communities to get ready for drought. They connect farmers with regional agricultural experts, innovation and new practices.

A Knowledge Broker is available at each hub. Their role is to translate science into practice for their region. They use their network to encourage collaboration and learning across the hubs. They also help build connections with other Future Drought Fund programs.

The Pilbara is Western Australia's second most northern region, defined by the Indian Ocean to the west and the Northern Territory border to the east. The Kimberley Region lies to its north across the Great Sandy Desert and the Pilbara's southern reaches border the Gascoyne, Mid-West and Goldfields-Esperance regions. The region covers a total area of 507,896km (including offshore islands).

Most of the inhabitants of the Pilbara are located in the western third of the region, whereas the eastern third is largely desert with few inhabitants. The Pilbara has four local government areas - the City of Karratha, Shires of Ashburton and East Pilbara and the Town of Port Hedland. Other towns are Roebourne, Dampier, Onslow, Pannawonica, Paraburdoo, Tom Price, Wickham, Newman, Marble Bar and Nullagine.

The Pilbara is economically significant, both nationally and internationally, as the region is responsible for a major portion of the production, value, exports and investments of extraction industries commodities, particularly iron ore and liquefied natural gas (LNG). In addition to the immense reserves of natural resources, tourism, agriculture, fishing and aquaculture all feature prominently in the strengths and opportunities in the Region.

The Pilbara is Western Australia's second most northern region, defined by the Indian Ocean to the west and the Northern Territory border to the east. The Kimberley Region lies to its north across the Great Sandy Desert and the Pilbara's southern reaches border the Gascoyne, Mid-West and Goldfields-Esperance regions. The region covers a total area of 507,896km (including offshore islands).

Most of the inhabitants of the Pilbara are located in the western third of the region, whereas the eastern third is largely desert with few inhabitants. The Pilbara has four local government areas - the City of Karratha, Shires of Ashburton and East Pilbara and the Town of Port Hedland. Other towns are Roebourne, Dampier, Onslow, Pannawonica, Paraburdoo, Tom Price, Wickham, Newman, Marble Bar and Nullagine.

The Pilbara is economically significant, both nationally and internationally, as the region is responsible for a major portion of the production, value, exports and investments of extraction industries commodities, particularly iron ore and liquefied natural gas (LNG). In addition to the immense reserves of natural resources, tourism, agriculture, fishing and aquaculture all feature prominently in the strengths and opportunities in the Region.

The Gold Coast is Australia's fifth largest city with one of the fastest growing economies in the country.

Industries such as tourism, property and construction, manufacturing, screen, health, education and sport have played a big part in making the Gold Coast city what it is today.

We are leading digital and business investment programs to establish the Gold Coast as Australia's fastest growing economy, driven by the adoption of telecommunications and cutting-edge technologies.

The Illawarra is overlooked from the spectacular lookouts at the top of the Eastern Escarpment as you approach Wollongong, driving south from Sydney. It is this juxtaposition of mountain and beach that gives the whole south coast region its special character and nowhere is this environment better illustrated than here in the Illawarra, where the escarpment actually meets the sea.

General purpose artificial intelligence technologies such as ChatGPT, are quickly transforming the way AI systems are built and deployed.

While these technologies are expected to brin benefits in the coming year, their disruptive nature raises questions around privacy and intellectual property rights, liability and accountability, and concerns about the potential to spread disinformation and misinformation.

Australia’s Fashion, Textile and Uniform Industry (commonly and hereafter referred to as the ‘fashion industry’) is widely misunderstood outside the industry itself, but is an integral part of Australian culture, society and economy.

It sits at the heart of a critical and multi-layered ecosystem that incorporates complex business models across education, workforce management, primary industries, design, product development, manufacturing, technology, supply chains, marketing, wholesale, retail, export, tourism, waste management, circularity and more.

It spans a complex ecosystem of raw material producers, design, manufacturing, retailing and educational activities and has a presence in every high street and major retail centre in the country.

It is also one of Australia’s true female-led industries, from shop floors, design studios and C-Suites, with women representing 77% of the industry workforce.

Current exports by the Australian fashion and textile industry are more than double the exports of wine and beer

Local attractions include Mutawintji National Park which is home to 30,000-year-old Indigenous rock carvings, unique White Cliffs underground opal mines, the historical ghost town of Silverton and an eclectic collection of galleries and current and past artists including ‘Brushmen of the Bush’, Pro Hart, Eric Minchin, Jack Absalom, John Pickup and Hugh Shulz.

The arid landscape of the NSW Far West supports a brilliant array of native species and contains 30,000-year-old Indigenous rock carvings.

The Albert Kersten Mining and Minerals Museum, also known as the GeoCentre, represents the extensive mineral history of Broken Hill. This geological science museum boasts a 42kg silver nugget as well as a large mineral collection, and it is home to the Silver Tree.

Visit the Living Desert Sculptures, a stunning collection of 12 giant sandstone sculptures 9km north of Broken Hill in the Living Desert State Park. Created by 12 international artists as homage to the magnificent desert landscape, the sandstone changes colour with the light, glowing vividly at sunset.

Drop in to The Original Silverton Hotel – the filming location for a number of popular movies including Razorback, Mission Impossible II and The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Movie buffs can also explore the Mad Max Museum, Australia's first and only museum dedicated to Mad Max 2.

Canberra is Australia’s defence capital with the largest concentration of defence and national security agencies, assets, organisations, diplomatic networks and industry bodies in the nation.

NSW’s Defence and Industry Strategy, the ACT’s Defence Industry Strategy and the Canberra Region Defence Industry Capability Directory provide a platform for continued collaboration in the Canberra region.

Graphene – a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb lattice – is renowned for being up to 200 times stronger than steel and being a highly efficient conductor of both heat and electricity.

Graphene is particularly useful in man-made products such as polymers, composites and plastics.

Major users of graphene include automotive giant Ford, which is already using the material in certain car parts, and China’s Huawei uses graphene to help manage heat in its smartphones.

Despite the accelerating growth in demand for graphene, there are only a handful of companies on the ASX that are actively involved in the graphene sector.

First Graphene produces the product at its factory in Henderson, south west of Perth from where it exports to a global market.

High-quality graphene requires very pure graphite, and it turns out that South Australia has many high-grade deposits.

Gippsland is renowned for its natural attributes, including Gippsland Lakes and coastlines, Wilsons Promontory National Park and one of Victoria’s largest visitor attractions, the Phillip Island Penguin Parade.

Roughly the same size as Switzerland, Gippsland covers over 41,500 square kilometres and is the largest region in Victoria. The community works and lives in a resource-rich landscape (one of the most diverse in regional Australia) from the Latrobe Valley’s industrial heartland to rich agricultural lands, coastal and lakes regions, highlands, and the forested north and east.

Each year, nearly eight million tourists visit Gippsland, attracted to the unspoilt lakes, beaches, snowfields, bushlands, and rainforests, as well as the beautiful towns and villages. Its major towns are Traralgon, Warragul, Drouin, Morwell, Bairnsdale, Moe, Leongatha, Sale and Wonthaggi.

Gippsland has a reputation for producing quality products and services across various industries such as food and fibre, energy, forestry, fisheries, manufacturing, and tourism.

Environmental Services protects Townsville's natural environments and spearheads Council's sustainability initiatives. Explore the hidden worlds of sustainability, Water, Energy, Biodiversity, Land Management and Recycling.

We live in a beautiful part of the world that is surrounded by amazing nature and environmental conservation areas including the Great Barrier Reef world heritage area, Pinnacles National Park, Magnetic Island, the Wet Tropics world heritage area including Paluma Range National Park, and Bowling Green Bay RAMSAR Wetland of international Importance.

The work that organisations, not-for-profits, businesses and governments put in to protecting, restoring, and enhancing these spaces is crucial for ensuring they flourish and that we continue to attract ecotourism to the region.

The Gold Coast is Australia's fifth largest city with one of the fastest growing economies in the country.

Industries such as tourism, property and construction, manufacturing, screen, health, education and sport have played a big part in making the Gold Coast city what it is today.

We are leading digital and business investment programs to establish the Gold Coast as Australia's fastest growing economy, driven by the adoption of telecommunications and cutting-edge technologies.

Toowoomba and its surrounding regions which include the Maranoa, Western Downs, Southern Downs, Goondiwindi, Burnett and Moree regions, is a food producing powerhouse for Australia.

The food capability of these council areas is driven by the diversity of fresh and value added products grown and produced in these locations.

Key agricultural outputs for this catchment include cotton, grain, beef, pork, poultry, dairy and fruit and vegetables. Aiding the regions food capability are the regions' research facilities, including the University of Southern Queensland’s Institute for Agriculture and the Environment which focuses on developing solutions for a sustainable and profitable future for the rural sector.

Far North Queensland is our largest region covering 20 per cent of the state. It boasts World Heritage areas including the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics – one of the world’s oldest rainforests – as well as many authentic Indigenous experiences from the world’s oldest living culture.

This region is home to memorable tourism experiences and filled with innovators with ground-breaking ideas that are putting us on the world map.

Cairns is a popular travel destination for tourists from all around the world, the region attracts more than 2 million domestic and international visitors each year. Cairns is a unique town for being around so much beautiful natural wonders such as the largest coral reef in the world and one of the oldest rainforests in the world. Cairns is also the perfect place for the adrenaline seeker with many wonderful adventure activities available daily.

Agribusiness – focusing on niche food and beverage product and value-adding production – which has a strong foundation in the region and is a key part of the economic future of the hinterland communities. This sector will expand in response to burgeoning national and global demand a clean and safe food supply.

The Mid North Coast is a country region in the north-east of the state of New South Wales, Australia. The region covers the mid northern coast of the state, beginning from Port Stephens 160 km north of Sydney, and extending as far north as Woolgoolga, 562 km north of Sydney, a distance of roughly 400 km. It also includes the World Heritage Area of Lord Howe Island, about 600km east of Port Macquarie.

The Mid North Coast lies between the Great Divide and the east coast. The landscape is typified by winding rivers that feed lush hinterland, and over one hundred kilometres of pristine beaches. It benefits from a high rainfall and is considered by many to have the most ideal climate in Australia. Taree, Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie.

Over the last twenty years the NSW Mid North Coast Region has evolved from a coastal retirement and tourist destination with a significant agricultural base - forestry, fishing and farming to a region with a diversified service- based economy.

Over time processes and technologies available for mineral processing, dewatering, ore sorting has advanced to manage lower grade ores and reprocessing of tailings and waste rock.

There are a range of new innovative technologies that can be used to liberate and separate critical metals from mining and processing waste. Extraction of any metal value from tailings is contingent on detailed mineralogical characterisation.

The re-commercialisation of Mt Carbine was enabled by new technology, the x-ray ore sorters. They are now able to reprocess what was waste rock efficiently to recover tungsten. The resultant waste rock is valuable as construction aggregate.

We will pursue, facilitate and promote collaborative projects that enable re-commercialisation. In-so-doing the participants will be able to improve the long-term residual impact of mining.