Hay and Carrathool Shire Councils are joining forces to develop a 10-year roadmap outlining practical actions councils, business, industries and communities can take to diversify their economies.

This includes building economic, social, cultural and environmental resilience.

The Resilient Economy Roadmap for Hay and Carrathool Shires is being developed as part of the Regional Drought Resilience Planning Program.

“The roadmap is for the future of our region, to be developed in collaboration with community, industry and government members,” Hay Shire Council General Manager, David Webb said.

“There will be several local opportunities – workshops, forums, meetings and surveys – to share your thoughts, ideas and knowledge.

“Our region has a long, proud history in agriculture; and the economic and lifestyle opportunities our primary production and natural environment affords us.

“Right now, on top of rising cost of living pressures, we’re facing growing challenges to our local industries, economies and wellbeing.

“And we are not yet prepared for what the decarbonisation of global supply chains means for our economies or primary production industries.”

Mr Webb said strategic planning and coordination were needed at local, regional and federal levels so there can be a holistic understanding of the nature of the challenges and to identify opportunities to build resilience.

“The good news is, we have a golden opportunity to keep our communities strong, now and into the future.”

Two workshops will be offered in Hay next week.

Primary producers and businesses supporting primary production are encouraged to attend the first workshop, The primary Production System Across our Region on Monday, April 8 from 5-8pm at the TAFE facility in Pine Street. The second workshop is on Thursday, April 11 10am to 12pm and is aimed at residents, business owners and community members to help build a detailed picture of supporting their resilient, diverse community.

This article appeared in The Riverine Grazier, 3 April 2024.