Collaborative networks

Help farmers thrive through drought

Support the people who support our producers.

The SQNNSW Innovation Hub and The Connection Table are offering a unique professional development opportunity for agricultural and rural industry professionals across the Hub's Queensland operational area.

Build the networks, skills and confidence to have greater impact with farmers and communities facing drought challenges.

✔ A 12-month Connection Table membership
✔ Access to an exclusive professional network
✔ Monthly skills and leadership development sessions
✔ Practical tools for communication, collaboration and influence
✔ Opportunities to share ideas, solve challenges and learn from peers

Whether you advise farmers, run extension activities or work alongside rural communities, this program will help you strengthen your ability to support drought preparedness and resilience.

The Connection Table is an established platform and network specifically for regional, rural and remote Australians. It facilitates networks and connections and provides professional development sessions with industry leaders from across Australia.

Read the full details (500kb PDF)

Download the Terms and Conditions (300kb PDF)

Fill in the EOI today - limited places available.

Location: Bingara / Lismore
Status: Active
Partners: Australian Rural Leadership Foundation, Northern Slopes Landcare Association (NSLA), Gwydir Shire Council

In late 2023 and early 2024 the hub's Bingara Extension officer organised two informal discussions over coffee with leaders in Warialda, and two additional formal Round Tables with community leaders in Bingara. The first Bingara Round Table was facilitated by Mayor Cr.Tiffany Galvin, leading to a follow-up roundtable where priorities were set to actions. Two Business Planning Workshops have been delivered with Simon Groth from Gwydir Chartered Accountants, with more to come.  

Location: Stanthorpe
Status: Active
Partners: Granite Borders Landcare, Granite Belt Sustainable Action Network, Traprock Group, Granite Belt Growers Association, Condamine Headwaters Landcare Group, Southern Queensland Landscapes, Granite Belt Wine & Tourism.

In October 2024, the hub's Stanthorpe node hosted a collaborative workshop, bringing together representatives from various organisations across the region to:

• identify areas of common ground and shared goals among participating groups
• explore potential collaboration opportunities 
• develop strategies for effective partnerships and resource sharing
• foster a sense of community and encourage innovation within the region.

Key points raised included:

• Funding: Securing funding for land assessments to provide property managers with options for carbon markets and biodiversity credits.
• Information Hub: Establishing a centralised "one-stop shop" for information on environmental markets to address the overwhelming amount of available data.
• Dissemination: Utilising existing membership bases of present organisations to disseminate information.
• Case Studies: Sharing case studies from Granite Belt Sustainable Action Group and Granite Belt Landcare to illustrate practical examples.
• Technical Support: Leveraging the GIS and soil testing resources from Southern Queensland Landscapes for mapping exercises and potentially contributing to a knowledge portal.
• Carbon Assessments: Engaging carbon project developers to conduct carbon assessments.

The following actions were agreed upon:

1. Collaborative Meeting: Granite Belt Sustainable Action Network, Condamine Headwaters Landcare, and Granite Borders Landcare will meet to discuss these topics in more detail.
2. Facilitator Role: The SQNNSW Drought Hub will serve as a facilitator to keep the conversation ongoing and support future initiatives.
3. Everyone: Reflect on past drought preparedness strategies.

Location: Armidale
Status: Complete (Node support for this ongoing annual event has ended)
Partner: University of New England Smart Region Incubator (SRI)

Agmentation brings together diverse talent from high schools, UNE students and researchers, international students, startups and businesses, producers, innovators and technologists to combine their ideas and scope a solution. Challenge statements set the scene, then individuals work in teams to devise and pitch a solution at the end of the day. Agmentation is an opportunity to join others in an intensive sprint and pitch, solving problems that matter to agricultural producers and rural communities.

The Armidale Node supported the event in 2022 and 2023, where 120 participants developed pitches to address challenges around climate variability and drought. The innovation challenge uses a human-centred design approach. Working in teams, and supported by experienced mentors, participants designed solutions to real world problems. Those solutions had potential to make real impact, with a student member from the winning team in 2022 completing an internship with the Armidale Node in 2023, gaining valuable industry experience that will assist her as she completes her degree and moves into the workforce. In addition, the winning team from 2023 worked with the Node to further develop their idea to make carbon knowledge and accounting more accessible for small to medium rural enterprises.

Agmentation is supported by a range of regional collaborators each year, including the SQNNSW Innovation Hub, Armidale Regional Council, NSW Government, University of New England, the UNE SMART Farm, the UNE SMART Region Incubator, its mentors, and amazing networks of community supporters.

Learn more about Agmentation. 
Watch the Agmentation 2023 video.

Location: Lismore
Status: Active
Partners: Southern Cross University (SCU), local farmers

Facilitated by the hub's Lismore Node, the SCU Regenerative Ag student engagement project provides assistance to subject coordinators with farm visits and demonstrations relevant to the SCU Regenerative Agriculture and Environmental Science undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. The hub also assists with communication of field activities and research at Southern Cross University to a wide range of audiences.