Upcoming Events
Upcoming events: (click below)
The Hub is not currently hosting events.
Vitivoltaics in the Valley
Tuesday 28 October at 10:00 am | Plume Estate, Bickley WA
Join us for a FREE visit of a demonstration site that will serve as a proof-of-concept for deploying agrivoltaics in Western Australia’s viticultural systems!
About the project
The climate of the Swan Valley and Perth Hills wine regions presents unique challenges, such as high temperatures and reduced water availability during the growing season. These conditions make it an ideal candidate for the demonstration of agri-voltaic solutions.
The South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub, in partnership with industry partners, is installing a first of its kind solar array above a commercial vineyard at Plume Estate in the Perth Hills.
We are partnering with the Universities of Melbourne, Adelaide and Western Australia who all have similar arrays over trial sites and are helping us to understand the impacts on fruit production.
Soil, climate, vine, yield and quality data will be captured at the demonstration site, which will be used for modelling production and economic impacts. This demonstration phase is expected to lead to further investment in research, development and adoption of the concept as part of a national CRC Zero Net Emissions project and a proposed Agrisolar CRC.
Find out more about the project.
About the event
If you are interested in contributing towards the integration of sustainable energy solutions into agriculture, or have heard about “agrivoltaics” and want to find out more about it, come and visit our demonstration site that will serve as a proof-of-concept for deploying agrivoltaics in Western Australia’s viticultural systems.
We are looking to engage with growers in discussion on the concept, its pro’s and con’s, and understand the research questions that viticulturalists want answered as part of integrating the concept into their operations.
Date and time: 28 October 2025 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
Location: Plume Estate, 91 Glenisla Rd, Bickley WA 6076
Cost: free
What to bring: hat and closed-in shoes.
RSVP by: Friday 24 October (for catering purposes) using the form below.
Program
Speakers include:
- Marcus Geisler, Plume Estate
- Owner of the host vineyard
- Presenting on how he sees the fit of AgriVoltaics with his vision for his business and how he sees this working with his operations
- Jo Wisdom/Doug Hamilton, Grower Group Alliance
- Project leads of the Agri-Voltaics project
- Talking about the Agrisolar project, why agrivoltaics in vineyards in WA and the work going on around the world about Agrivoltaics
- Caitlin Moore, University of Western Australia
Technical Lead for project
Sensor measurements and information being collected to help validate project outcomes - Andrew Easton, Sunrise Energy Group
- Solar array installation partner
- The solar panel spec’s, design of the installation, requirements for sites to consider if looking to install solar
Registration form
Please RSVP using the form below by Friday 24 October for catering purposes.
Webinar | SMART SPRAYS: maximising the benefits from rainfall
Thursday 29 January 2026 – 12:00 pm AWST | Online (MS Teams)
Join us for the first session in the Building Resilient Landscapes lunchtime webinar series for an in-depth look at SMART SPRAYS: Maximising the Benefits from Rainfall, one of six projects supported through the SW WA Hub’s Transformational Program.
Project leads Professor Dan Murphy and Cheryl Rimmer from Murdoch University will introduce the SMART SPRAYS project and the problem it set out to solve: how to capture more rainfall where it matters and improve plant water-use efficiency in a drying climate. The team will share how the project moved from concept to field demonstrations, the challenges encountered, and the key learnings emerging from testing biodegradable polymer sprays designed to enhance water retention in cropping systems.
Hear how collaboration across researchers, growers and industry unlocked new insights, what further work is needed, and how SW WA Hub funding has accelerated innovation to strengthen drought and climate resilience for WA broadacre farming.
This project is supported by the South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub, through funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund, Murdoch University and the WA Agricultural Research Collaboration.
Presenters:
- Lucy Tomassini – Project manager, South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub
- Professor Dan Murphy – Centre Director and Biochemist, Bioplastics Innovation Hub, Murdoch University
- Cheryl Rimmer – Research Officer, Bioplastics Innovation Hub, Murdoch University
Webinar | Diversifying farm income: integrating renewable energy into agriculture
Thursday 12 February 2026 – 12:00 pm AWST | Online (MS Teams)
Join us for the third session in the Building Resilient Landscapes lunchtime webinar series for an in-depth look at Diversifying farm income: integrating renewable energy into agriculture, one of six projects supported through the SW WA Hub’s Transformational Program.
Farmanco project manager Kelly Ryan will unpack how this study explored the emerging intersection of renewable energy and agriculture in Western Australia, from growing policy interest and project proposals on farms to the economic, social and environmental implications for growers and regional communities.
She will share how the project team approached analysing opportunities and barriers, the key insights and challenges identified in engaging stakeholders, and what this means for growers considering renewable energy options.
Hear how collaboration across sectors has shaped the work, what further research and support is needed, and how SW WA Hub funding has helped advance pathways to diversify farm income and strengthen resilience.
This project is supported by the South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub, through funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.
Presenters:
- Lucy Tomassini – Project manager, South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub
- Kelly Ryan – Project manager, Farmanco
Webinar | Sustainable transformation of waste from the potato industry into novel feedstock
Thursday 26 February 2026 – 12:00 pm AWST | Online (MS Teams)
Join us for the second session in the Building Resilient Landscapes lunchtime webinar series for an in-depth look at Sustainable transformation of waste from the potato industry into novel feedstock, one of six projects supported through the SW WA Hub’s Transformational Program.
Nick Stamatiou, co-founder and CEO of WHOLE., will introduce the project and the challenge it set out to address: how to turn high-volume organic waste from Western Australia’s potato processing sector into a valuable, safe and sustainable livestock feed ingredient using innovative processing technology. The team will share their approach to developing and testing scalable treatments to reduce moisture and enhance nutrient bioavailability, along with the challenges encountered and key learnings emerging from pilot trials.
Hear how collaboration across industry and research partners has advanced practical solutions, what further work is needed to scale this circular economy opportunity, and how SW WA Hub funding has helped progress innovation that supports resilience and sustainability in regional agricultural systems.
This project is supported by the South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub, through funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.
Presenters:
- Lucy Tomassini – Project manager, South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub
- Nick Stamatiou – Co-founder and CEO, WHOLE.
Webinar | Barriers and opportunities for agricultural natural capital as an asset class
Thursday 12 March 2026 – 12:00 pm AWST | Online (MS Teams)
Join us for the fourth session in the Building Resilient Landscapes lunchtime webinar series for an in-depth look at Barriers and opportunities for agricultural natural capital as an asset class, one of six projects supported through the SW WA Hub’s Transformational Program.
Project leads Associate Professor Ram Pandit (University of Western Australia) and Thomas Picton-Warlow (Mobile Global) will introduce the project and the challenge it set out to address: understanding how agricultural natural capital – the soil, water, vegetation and biodiversity on farms – can be recognised and valued as a tangible asset for growers, while identifying barriers and opportunities for uptake.
The team will share insights from stakeholder engagement, analysis of market and policy frameworks, and key learnings about the practical and financial considerations for growers exploring natural capital investment.
Hear how collaboration across farmers, industry and policy makers has shaped the work, what further steps are needed to translate insights into actionable pathways, and how SW WA Hub funding has supported innovation to strengthen resilience and sustainability in Western Australian agricultural systems.
This project is supported by the South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub, through funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.
Presenters:
- Lucy Tomassini – Project manager, South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub
- Ram Pandit – Associate Professor, University of Western Australia
- Thomas Picton-Warlow – Director, Mobile Global
Webinar | Transformative Aboriginal agricultural methods
Thursday 26 March 2026 – 12:00 pm AWST | Online (MS Teams)
Join us for the fourth session in the Building Resilient Landscapes lunchtime webinar series for an in-depth look at Transformative Aboriginal agricultural methods, one of six projects supported through the SW WA Hub’s Transformational Program.
Led in partnership by Maaman Marra Boodjar (MMB) and Edith Cowan University (ECU), this project brings together Aboriginal knowledge systems and regenerative agriculture to explore new ways of healing Country, improving soil health and building drought resilience.
Project leads Clint Hansen (MMB), Dr David Blake (ECU), and Professor Janine Joyce (ECU) will share how the project worked on-Country with farmers, researchers and Traditional Owners to apply Aboriginal landscape rehydration practices alongside modern monitoring tools.
The session will explore the project’s key learnings, including the importance of trust, yarning and place-based collaboration, as well as early outcomes from landscape rehydration trials, and what’s needed to expand this work. Hear how SW WA funding enabled a genuinely co-created approach to resilience grounded in culture, science and Country.
This project is supported by the South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub, through funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund, and the WA Agricultural Research Collaboration.
Presenters:
- Lucy Tomassini – Project manager, South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub
- Clint Hansen – CEO, Maaman Marra Boodjar
- Dr Dave Blake – Associate Professor, Edith Cowan University
- Professor Janine Joyce – Associate Dean, Edith Cowan University
Register for Forum25: GGA’s premier industry event
The Grower Group Alliance’s flagship event, Forum, will take place from 31 July to 1 August 2025 at the Joondalup Resort.
Held every two years, this highly anticipated event brings together grower groups, researchers, industry leaders and stakeholders from across the agricultural sector for two days of networking, knowledge-sharing, and collaboration.
Program
The program will kick off on Thursday evening with a welcome networking event, followed by a full-day conference on Friday.
As part of the program, the SW WA Hub will host an invitation-only stakeholder breakfast on the morning of Friday 1 August. The breakfast will feature a keynote presentation from Jethro Sercombe (Third Story) on practical tools for effective co-design. This will be a timely and valuable session for all future leaders in ag innovation.
Thursday 31 July
3.00pm – 5.00pm | ‘GGA Strategy 2026-2030’ member workshop (GGA members only)
6.00pm – 10.00pm | Welcome Cocktail Party
Friday 1 August
7.00am – 8.15am | Breakfasts – [#1] SW WA Hub hosted breakfast, plus [#2] Project Officers breakfast
9.00am – 4.45pm | Conference Day [9 sessions – topics and speakers being finalised]
4.45pm – 6.00pm | Closing sundowner [Free]
Registrations
‘Early Bird’ tickets up to 20% off are available until 3 July.
Extension and Adoption Training Program 2025
The South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub (SW WA Hub) invites you to take part in our Extension & Adoption Training Program, a five-part professional development series designed to strengthen your skills in agricultural extension and adoption practices.
This program is perfect for grower group staff, industry consultants, and extension or research professionals looking to enhance their ability to support farmer adoption of new practices.
Approximately 18 hours of content will be delivered through the program.
Participation is flexible: register for some or all dates.
Dates: 8 May | 9 May | 15 May | 21 May | 28 May
Location: modules 1 and 2 (8 – 9 May) are in person at the Pagoda Resort & Spa, 112 Melville Pde Como, WA 6152. All other modules are online.
Learning objectives
While this five-part program is designed as continuing professional development for those who have some experience in adoption and extension and are ready to take their skills to a higher level, newcomers are also welcome and will benefit from taking part.
Learning objectives include:
- Understand modern approaches to extension and adoption,
- Identify and document your project context including Research, Development, Extension and Adoption (RDE&A) outcomes and priorities,
- Develop the business case for any RDE&A work your group wants to undertake,
- Clarify target audiences’ desired levels of change,
- Understand the steps in developing an extension plan to achieve desired level change,
- Develop an extension plan for your program,
- Develop an event plan for a field day or workshop,
- Have a basic understanding of facilitation techniques used in an agricultural context,
- Understand the basic steps in monitoring and evaluation.
Dates and delivery
Where content is considered essential it is marked ***Recommended essential
Thursday 8 May, 12 pm – 5 pm (5 hours) | In person at Pagoda Resort & Spa, Como
Better define priorities, then flesh them out for funding proposals or for research, development or extension work. Will work with Group Map as a training tool.
Sundowner and fellowship to finish the day.
Facilitators: Alison Lacey, Theo Nabben, Cassie Howell
Registrations for this module are now closed.
Friday 9 May, 9 am – 3 pm (6 hours) | In person at Pagoda Resort & Spa, Como
Plan a suite of extension activities – Introduction to extension and adoption planning for change, target audiences, plan activities.
Facilitators: Theo Nabben, Alison Lacey, Cassie Howell ***Recommended essential
Registrations for this module are now closed.
Thursday 15 May, 9 am – 11:30 am (2.5 hours) | Online
Getting the most out of guest presenters and subject matter experts, running events that the audience wants.
Facilitators: Alison Lacey, Cassie Howell ***Recommended essential
Wednesday 21 May, 9 am – 11:30 am (2.5 hours) | Online
Defining evaluation questions, developing a monitoring and evaluation plan, choosing methods, management evaluation.
Facilitators: Theo Nabben, Cassie Howell
Wednesday 28 May, 9 am – 11:30 am (2.5 hours) | Online
Aimed at new staff – how to facilitate meetings and group discussions, techniques for engaging stakeholders.
Facilitators: Theo Nabben, Alison Lacey, Cassie Howell ***Recommended essential
Benefits of the Extension & Adoption program
The benefits of doing this program will be immediate but can last a lifetime:
- Gain clarity around the technical delivery process,
- Develop confidence and professional skills to enhance relevance of your group to stakeholders,
- Define your organisation’s extension and adoption (E&A) vision and goals,
- Learn how to identify where delivery format needs adjustment for impact,
- Build a professional community of practice with colleagues throughout the WA agricultural industry,
- Improve your group’s ability to have local impact with adoption of improved practice.
Format and features
Delivery – Due to the geographical spread of stakeholders, delivery will be in a blended learning format with two workshops in person and three online using MS Teams.
Handouts – A useful collection of handouts will be curated.
Peer-to-peer learning – Enjoy an interactive process and benefit from other experienced agriculture industry professionals with similar challenges.
Interactive Q&A format – The sessions will be interactive with the instructor fielding questions as they arise.
Places and pricing
For the in-person sessions, there is space for 30 delegates and places will be filled on a first come, first served basis.
For the in-person modules (8 – 9 May), registrations will close on Friday 2 May.
Hub Consortium Partners and GGA network members have access to subsidised tickets with a ticketing fee of $40 per online session and $75 for the face-to-face sessions (plus GST and ticketing fee).
All other industry delegates are welcome with a ticketing fee of $80 per online session and $160 for the face-to-face sessions (plus GST and ticketing fee).
A wait list will run.
Accommodation
Special discount accommodation rate for delegates at the Pagoda Resort and Spa.
The special accommodation rate is $185 per person for a Superior Room and includes buffet breakfast for one guest, and high speed wifi.
Promo code: Please email cassandra.howell@gga.org.au to receive the discount code.
Enquiries
Direct any enquiries about participation in the event to Cassie Howell (0429 659 219, cassandra.howell@gga.org.au) or Theo Nabben (0403196381, theo.nabben@gga.org.au).
Facilitators
Extension and Adoption Training Program 2025
Join the SW WA Hub’s five-part program providing technical training on adoption and extension practices for the agricultural industry.
Dates: 8 to 28 May 2025
Location: two modules in person (Perth) and three modules online
The South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub (SW WA Hub) will deliver a five-part technical content training program on extension and adoption involving two face-to-face workshops and three online workshops.
Content will suit grower group staff, industry consultants or new extension/research staff that extend research to support farmer adoption.
Approximately 16 hours of content will be delivered through the program.
Participation is flexible: register for some or all dates.
Wednesday 10 April, 12 – 5 pm (5 hours) | In person at Pagoda Resort & Spa, Como
Better define priorities, then flesh them out for funding proposals or for research, development or extension work. Will work with group map as a training tool.
Sundowner and fellowship to finish the day.
Facilitators: Julianne Hill with Alison Lacey
Thursday 11 April, 9 am – 3 pm (6 hours) | In person at Pagoda Resort & Spa, Como
Plan a suite of extension activities – planning for change, target audiences, plan activities, team capacity, evaluation, risk management, etc.
Facilitators: Theo Nabben, Alison Lacey
Wednesday 17 April, 9 – 11 am (2 hours) | Online
Getting the most out of guest presenters and subject matter experts, running events that the audience wants.
Facilitators: Alison Lacey, Julianne Hill
Wednesday 1 May, 9 – 11 am (2 hours) | Online
Defining evaluation questions, develop M & E plan, choose methods, management evaluation.
Facilitators: Theo Nabben, Julianne Hill
Wednesday 8 May, 9 – 11 am (2 hours) | Online
Aimed at new staff – how to facilitate managing meetings, format and processes in member/stakeholder engagement.
Facilitators: Julianne Hill, Alison Lacey, Theo Nabben
Wednesday 15 May, 9 – 11 am (2 hours) | Online
Group session focused on discussing and evaluating individual participants’ case-by-case challenges on E&A programs they may be currently delivering or have in the pipeline.
Facilitators: Julianne Hill, Theo Nabben, Alison Lacey
Places and Pricing
For the in-person sessions, there is space for 30 delegates and places will be filled on a first come, first served basis.
Hub Consortium Partners and GGA network members have a subsidised ticketing fee of $20 per online session and $50 for the face-to-face sessions.
All other Western Australian industry delegates are welcome with a ticketing fee of $50 per online session and $100 for the face-to-face sessions.
Accommodation
Special discount accommodation rate for delegates at the Pagoda Resort and Spa will be available (please advise the Pagoda when booking).
Enquiries
Direct any enquiries about participation in the event to the workshops’ coordinator: Alison Lacey, GGA Project Manager, 0429 084 421, alacey@gga.org.au
Drought Resilience Showcase
The Drought Resilience Showcase, hosted by the South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub, is an exclusive, invitation-only event.
The Showcase will highlight innovative projects from around Australia funded by the Future Drought Fund. These initiatives are designed to enhance drought preparedness and resilience, and are specifically relevant for Western Australia’s agricultural environment.
This unique opportunity will allow attendees to engage directly with key stakeholders, leading researchers, and innovative producers who are driving the future of drought resilience in Australia.
The Showcase will be followed by a sundowner, proudly sponsored by CBH.
Date: 11 December
Location: Bentley Technology Park
For enquiries, please contact our Hub Adoption Manager, Julianne Hill, at swwadroughthub@gga.org.au.
Past Events
Briefing Session on Dry Season Resources
Join Hub Adoption Manager, Julianne Hill, for a one-hour briefing session to (re)familiarise yourself with the Hub’s library of dry season resources.
Date & Time: 23 April 2024 at 11:30 am
Location: online (Zoom)
The session will cover:
- Where to find the new dry season resources.
- What resources are actually available?
- How you might extend these out to your own members should the need arise.
This session is organised by the Grower Group Alliance (GGA) as part of their ‘Extension Fest’ Briefing Series – a new series comprising six key briefing sessions on valuable resources available for GGA member groups to access and extend out to their own member stakeholders.
The Hub’s briefing session on dry season resources is open to everyone.
Dial in on the day using the Zoom link available on the GGA website.
2023 Science to Practice Forum
The forum brings together farmers, researchers, government, industry, and the community to explore innovative tools and practices helping our farmers and regions prepare for future drought.
Hosted by award-winning television journalist and presenter of ABC TV’s Landline, Pip Courtney, the 3-day forum featured engaging discussions with speakers and panel members as well as presentations and video content of Future Drought Fund and Hub-led projects.
Each day of the 2023 forum focussed on a particular theme: research and development, farmers, producers and agricultural advisors, community and policy.
Three WA videos featured during the event included Soil moisture monitoring in WA, Filling feedgaps with saltbush in WA and Wattleseed enterprise in WA
Broader industry events are promoted in the Grower Group Alliance calendar.
