The Drought and Climate Resilient Sheep Farms and Landscapes project – known as ‘Climate Resilient Sheep Systems’, brings together researchers, farmers and industry partners to develop practical solutions to improve long-term resilience and sustainability of both sheep and pasture systems during drought conditions.
Funded through the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund via Adelaide University, the project will run from June 2025 to October 2030, with trials established across South Australia, Western Australia, and New South Wales.
The project is led by Adelaide University and Murdoch University, and involves collaboration with AIR EP, Central West Farming Systems Group, Farm System Analysis Services, Grower Group Alliance-SW WA Drought Hub, Legume N and Farming System Analysis Service, Liebe Group, Livestock SA – SA Sheep Industry Fund, Mallee Sustainable Farming, Merredin and Districts Farm Improvement Group (MADFIG), neXgen Agri, Pinion Advisory, Red Centre Enterprises – a First Nations owned enterprise, SA Drought Hub, Southern NSW Innovation Hub, University of Western Australia, Upper North Farming Systems Group, and Western Australian Department of Primary industries and Regional Development. In WA funding was also provided by Western Australian Agricultural Research Collaboration (WAARC).
Project Aims
Supporting sheep producers to build drought and climate resilience through improved sheep genetics, resilient feedbase systems and farmer-led research across southern Australia.
Outcome 1 – Reliable and nutritious feed supply for sheep during periods of drought
Outcome 2 – Create microclimates that mitigate the impact of heat, unseasonal rain and drought on the feed base and sheep
Outcome 3 – Create a more stable and biodiverse landscape
Deliverables
WA Project Map
Within Western Australia, project work is being led by Murdoch University in collaboration with local grower groups, the Liebe Group and Merredin and Districts Farm Improvement Group (MADFIG), as well as a variety of specialist support roles from DPIRD, WAARC, NeXtgen Agri and the Grower Group Alliance.
This six-year national project will establish the impact of mixed-species, and multi-storey feedbase plantings on the microclimate within farming systems, quantify how these plantings are used by sheep, and assess their impact on sheep behaviour, welfare, and productivity. Alongside this, the impact of these plantings and forage systems on landscape health will also be investigated and reported.
A feature of the project is its focus on farmer-led research, with at least 26 regional trial and validation sites to be established on operating farms, including 8 in South Australia, 10 in Western Australia, and 8 in New South Wales, all within 200mm – 400mm rainfall zones.
These sites will be tailored to local conditions in collaboration with local producers and farming systems groups. Controlled research sites at Adelaide University’s Roseworthy campus and the Muresk Institute near Northam in WA, plus collaboration with ram breeders throughout the country, will identify key traits that are genetically linked to heat tolerance and drought adaptation in sheep. There will also be a comparison of different fodder systems at Roseworthy.
Map Key
- Controlled research Investigation Sites (yellow pins)
- Validation Sites (green pins).
Project Updates
WA project partners convene for project activation planning
The first WA project activation meeting was held at the Muresk Institute on 28 April 2026, bringing together key delivery partners, including Liebe Group, MADFIG, Murdoch University, GGA, DPIRD and private consultants.
Led by the Murdoch University team, the meeting marked the start of work to establish validation sites with local farmers across low-rainfall (200–400 mm) zones of Western Australia. GGA will support project communications and extension planning, while DPIRD specialists and technical consultants will contribute expertise to project implementation.
Natural capital monitoring training
WA project partners were provided technical natural capital monitoring training on 28 April, 2026 from the team at Pinion Advisory to prepare them for the landscape health tracking components of the project work.
Grower Group staff responsible for undertaking landscape tracking at their local farmer-hosted validation sites, alongside other project partners all gained hands on learning in field-based natural capital monitoring protocols, applying vegetation and soil assessment methods from the Accounting for Nature Perennial Pastures framework.
Training covered vegetation surveys, soil condition assessments, including slaking and dispersion tests, species identification, field data collection techniques, and the use of monitoring equipment to support consistent and reliable environmental measurements.
Farmer co-design survey
Farmers are invited to shape the project work being undertaken in Western Australia – led in WA by Murdoch University in collaboration with a number of local grower groups.
We’re seeking practical ideas, challenges, priorities, and management approaches that could be researched, demonstrated, or validated through the project, including:
- What farmers would like to see demonstrated locally to support adoption
- Trial design ideas
- Measurements and monitoring approaches
News
Follow along project partners social media for updates on work across the project throughout Australia.
WA Project Team
University of Adelaide
– Project Co-Lead
Murdoch University
– Project Co-Lead
– Project Co-Lead
– Technical expert pasture species
– WA Validation site
Liebe Group
– WA Validation site
Tanya Kilminster, GGA
– SW WA Drought Hub
WA Project Communications
Contact
WA project enquiries to Tanya Kilminster tkilminster@gga.org.au
Collaborators
