NSW – The Next Economy

Strengthening Hay and Carrathool – Resilience Plan launched!

This week, the Hay and Carrathool Shire Councils launched the Hay and Carrathool Regional Drought Resilience Plan. The Plan is designed to identify strategic focus areas and priority actions to strengthen regional resilience. Convened by both councils, the Plan is the result of an extensive seven-month collaboration involving more than 300 community members, industry representatives, and government stakeholders.

The Plan envisions a future where, by 2035, the communities of Hay and Carrathool are equipped to navigate climate, environmental, social, and economic challenges while remaining strong, connected, and vibrant. It sets out a strategic path for ensuring safe and thriving places to live, work, and raise future generations.

Hay Shire Mayor, Carol Oataway, acknowledged the immense community effort behind the Plan and the commitment of local people to shaping their future.

“This level of community engagement reflects the leadership and strengths of this vibrant region and demonstrates the passion that local people have for its future,”
Carol Oataway, Mayor of Hay Shire

With five core strategies—Inclusive & Empowered Communities, Future Ready Businesses, Reimagined Care Economy, Placemaking with Purpose, and Coordinated Action for Climate Resilient Economic Development—the Plan identifies 26 priority actions, each with partners to lead and drive progress.

Key actions include setting up community hubs where people can connect, working groups so businesses can “share” employees, innovative ways to provide care to groups that need it, an initiative to collect and use environmental data, a housing strategy, and a roadmap to diversify and strengthen the regional economy.

Already, the Plan has sparked action across the community. To really bring its vision to life, collaboration between local government, businesses, and residents will be essential in addressing risks and capturing emerging opportunities.

“We’re the ones who know what our region needs… State and federal governments need to support regionally led solutions like ours.”
Carol Oataway, Mayor of Hay Shire

The Next Economy and the Australian Resilience Centre worked with the Hay and Carrathool Shire Councils and local communities to deliver the Plan. It has been developed as part of the Regional Drought Resilience Planning Program, which is jointly funded by the Australian Government and NSW Government under the Future Drought Fund.

Hay Shire Councillors John Perry and Geoff Chapman, along with Mayor Carol Oataway and Alison McLean, Executive Manager for Economic Development and Tourism, are pictured with Jacqui Bell and Doug Ruuska from The Next Economy.

Download the plan

The Hay and Carrathool Regional Drought Resilience Plan is available from the Australian Government’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry website: https://www.agriculture.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/hay-and-carrathool-rdr-plan.pdf

A summary of The Hay and Carrathool Regional Drought Resilience Plan is available below.

DOWNLOAD THE SUMMARY

For more information contact Jacqui Bell – j.bell@nexteconomy.com.au

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Primary producers in Hay, Carrathool help shape NSW region’s economic future

More than 80 primary producers and community members joined both Hay and Carrathool shire councils and The Next Economy (TNE) at a series of workshops to explore barriers and opportunities for strengthening community resilience and driving good economic development in the region.

Situated within Australia’s renowned ‘food bowl’ in the Riverina region of southwest New South Wales, the Hay and Carrathool Shire communities boast a rich legacy in agriculture and primary production.

The five workshops, held between 8 and 12 April 2024, brought together representatives from local businesses, community organisations, community services and primary production to identify what makes the region work now as well as opportunities and potential directions for good regional development that drives a strong, vibrant and climate resilient future.

Feedback from workshop participants included:

It was great to see so many community members turn up and be involved.

and

It was good to feel like community members are important in decision making.

The workshops marked the official start of extensive community engagement activities as part of Hay and Carrathool Shire Councils’ development of the 10-year Resilient Economy Roadmap initiative.

The Roadmap will outline practical actions councils, business, industries and communities can take over the next decade to diversify their economies while building resilience in the face of change and disruption. This includes economic, social, cultural and environmental resilience.

The project comes at a pivotal moment for the region as communities navigate a range of growing challenges and disruptions, including rising living costs, climate impacts from recent flood events to prolonged droughts, and the impact of the decarbonisation of global supply chains.

Jacqui Bell, TNE’s Land Use Director, said:

“These communities have a golden opportunity to stay strong now and into the future. To do that, they’re coming together to identify how to overcome barriers, diversify economies and build resilience.

“The level of engagement with the Roadmap project demonstrates the region has a network of strategic local leaders and champions who are passionate about their communities, economy and the future of the region.

“Community members, business owners and representatives from the primary production industry we’ve engaged with so far are constantly adapting and innovating in response to changes in the local climate and global economy. It was great to see such overwhelming interest in working collaboratively to shape the region’s future.”

The Resilient Economy Roadmap initiative is a collaboration between Hay and Carrathool Shire councils, The Next Economy, The Australian Resilience Centre, and communities across the region. Running from March to October 2024, it is funded jointly by the Australian Government and NSW’s Future Drought Fund and is part of the Regional Drought Resilience Planning Program.

To stay up to date on the project, follow the Resilient Economy Roadmap Facebook page. For further project information, please contact j.bell@nexteconomy.com.au

Consultation and feedback: Draft Hay and Carrathool Regional Drought Resilience Plan

The Hay and Carrathool Regional Drought Resilience Plan (‘The Plan’) is a strategic framework shaping the future of the region through 2035. It is due for official release later this year.

This summary paper outlines the key elements of The Plan we are currently seeking feedback on, including our 2035 vision, resilience strategies, and priority actions.

The summary paper can be downloaded in PDF format below:

The Hay and Carrathool Regional Drought Resilience Plan: Summary Consultation Paper
Download

Training

The Next Economy has trained over 300 people working in environment, climate and social service organisations on how to work effectively with regional communities. This has included members of:

Climate Action Network Australia
Engineers Declare Network
Australian Conservation Foundation
Australian Red Cross
Brotherhood of St Lawrence
Hunter Renewal partners