Improved water security in the Albert Priest Channel, more community bores, improved storage to prevent evaporation and tank de-silting were some of the ideas put forward at a ‘Big Thinkers’ drought resilience workshop in town on Friday.
The Far North West Joint Organisation (FNWJO) Drought Plan Project Officer Belinda Colless has been conducting the Big Thinkers workshops across seven north west local government areas (LGAs) including: Cobar, Bourke, Brewarrina, Walgett, Bogan, Warren and Coonamble shires.
The FNWJO aims to create a drought resilience plan for north western NSW with funding from the Regional Drought Resilience Planning Program.
The workshops aim to gain ideas on how communities can put into place actions that will lead to improvements to the region’s social, economic and natural environment.
Among the 12 attendees at the Cobar workshop were Cobar Shire councillor Julie Payne, three property owners (and three family members), a business owner, a retiree and two visitors to town.
The Cobar workshop discussed climate peaks and troughs and how past droughts have affected landholders, local businesses and services.
A number of suggestions/ideas were put forward that could be implemented to make our community more drought resilient in the future.
Ms Colless said the discussions from each workshop are being documented and reported to help develop drought resilience plans that can be implemented by councils and their communities to manage future risks.
