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Hub team sets priorities for the year ahead

30 May 2025

The SQNNSW Innovation Hub team is spread across a large geographic footprint, and it’s not often team gets to come together face-to-face. This week (28 May 2025), the Hub team, including the Hub Director, Brokers, Operations team, Node Managers, and Extension and Adoption Officers met in Toowoomba to set our priorities and planning pathway through to June 2026.  

As Hub Director Professor Ben Lyons said, “drought is a place-based phenomenon”. 

“That’s why we have people embedded across our region — to work with local communities on local solutions. Often, it’s not just the geographic distance that matters, but the distance from decision-makers,” he said. 

Facilitated by the Hub’s Knowledge Broker, Amanda Scott, the team participated in a focused planning day, sharing the key drought resilience priorities emerging from their communities — and identified where the Hub can help make meaningful progress in the year ahead.  

There were many key priority areas discussed including: 

  • landscape rehydration

  • First Nations engagement

  • carbon and natural capital 

  • exploring emerging technologies, and 

  • practical tools for drought preparedness.  

The team also reflected on successes to date and shared lessons learned, what’s working well, and what could be improved as we enter this next year of activity.

Through to June 2026, the focus remains on driving meaningful, on-the-ground activity.

Deepening collaboration across the network will be a cornerstone of our approach, fostering stronger partnerships and amplifying collective efforts. Most importantly, local voices will continue to shape and guide the Hub’s work, ensuring that every initiative remains grounded in real community needs and aspirations. Keep an eye out for more stories, updates, and ways to connect with the Hub’s work across the region. 

You can find out more about our many projects here.

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