Community Networks and Capacity Building

For people living and working in rural, regional and remote Australia the changing climate provides challenges but also offers opportunities. Community Networks and Capacity Building (CNCB), a component of Australia’s Farming Future, aims to build the leadership and representative capacity of target groups to strengthen community resilience and the productivity of primary industries.

These groups include: 

• women
• young people
• Indigenous Australians and
• people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

With increased access to tools and resources, these groups can improve their leadership and management skills, increase participation in industry and more effectively contribute to government and industry decision making.

Through CNCB the Australian Government supports a number of initiatives that help to achieve these goals.

• CNCB Program Guidelines

Women

The Recognising Women Farmers grants offer support for projects that build leadership and representative capacity of women in primary industries — to strengthen primary industry productivity and build rural, regional and remote community resilience to a changing climate.

By sponsoring a rural woman to participate in the Australian Rural Leadership Program in 2011 and supporting rural women’s networking and leadership skills development, the Australian Government is increasing women’s capacity to contribute to their primary industries and rural Australia.

Young People

The Next Gen Farmers grants offer support for projects to improve the leadership and representative capacity of young people entering or involved in primary industries, particularly in the context of the challenges and opportunities in these industries as a result of a changing climate.

As a sponsor of the ABC's Heywire competition the government supports young people in rural and regional Australia to create and share their stories, ideas and opinions.

The department has also supported scholarships to undertake the Australian Rural Leadership Program. The program offers a unique opportunity for selected rural and regional leaders to grow personally and professionally — developing skills, knowledge and networks needed to be effective in regional, state, national and international arenas.

The Australian Government’s youth website is the new central hub for youth related information. You can find information there on the Australian Youth Forum, an exciting initiative helping young people engage in discussion with the Australian Government about issues affecting them.

If you are a young person entering or involved in primary industries there are a number of websites which you can access for information about issues that may affect you. The young people in primary industries can help you find out about existing networks to meet other young people living and working in rural Australia.

Indigenous

The government supports various activities that aim to improve the leadership and representative capacity of Indigenous Australians in primary industries.

The DAFF National Indigenous Project aims to better understand how to enhance opportunities for Indigenous people in primary industries through a two–phased strategy.

Research is undertaken into past programs and barriers to participation, and an on–farm pilot project is managed in conjunction with the Indigenous Land Corporation.

The department is also working in partnership with the Northern Territory Cattlemen’s Association and the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation on separate initiatives.

People from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds

Community Networks and Capacity Building also supports from people from culturally or linguistically diverse backgrounds involved in agriculture, fisheries and forestry.

The support includes the sponsorship of a person from a CALD background to participate in the Australian Rural leadership program in 2011 and funding for the NSW Women in Agriculture project which provides participants with the knowledge to make best practice management decisions and implement practical techniques to increase their resilience to climate change.

Further information

Please call the Australia’s Farming Future hotline on 1800 638 746.