General News
9 October, 2024
Our regional advocate
The Horsham Times has partnered with Wimmera Southern Mallee Development to present a series of columns - on the first Friday of every month - exploring the wide and varied aspects of the organisation's work and influence as an advocate for economic and community prosperity in the region.
This month, project manager Simone Dalton discusses the organisation's preparedness for the region's inevitable next drought.
Oprah Winfrey once described resilience as the ability to "turn your wounds into wisdom".
Moving to the Wimmera at the start of the Millennium Drought I had no idea I was about to embark on 10 years of wisdom development as an individual and as a journalist documenting the painful impacts of continued dry seasons.
Now, more than two decades later, I am proud to be part of a project designed to build resilience in good times so we can be better prepared for the bad.
Working with community, business, government and researchers we have come up with 11 exciting projects aimed at setting this region up for the next - and inevitable - drought.
They address topics like green spaces, housing, the energy transition, weather stations, cultural heritage, young migrants, social resilience, strengthening business and community connections.
As part of this program, we re-launched the region’s HR Network. Renamed Wimmera Southern Mallee Business Connect, this group will help link, skill up and build resilience for local businesses.
While drought is often considered an agricultural event, business impacts can bite early as spending slows, customers thin and towns and economies respond to reduced rain and production.
These wounds can cut deep for business and the wider community.
Dr Cathy Tischler from Federation University spent the first half of this year exploring how and when businesses seek help from resilience services before and during difficult times.
The findings suggest that while the foundations for resilience-building supports exist in our region, businesses often don’t engage early enough. She also highlighted the need for more proactive strategies.
We hope WSM Business Connect will help us achieve this goal and last week, more than a dozen participants took the first step at our re-launch gathering.
Lisa Davidson, Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Acting General Manager, Workplace Relations and Wellbeing spoke on key impacts and details of recent changes to the Fair Work Act 2009.
Dr Tischler outlined the findings of her research, and the group also heard about WSMD’s drought resilience projects.
The group shared their thoughts on topics they’d like to discuss in the future and current issues around recruitment, successful settlement and retention.
So, when the next drought arrives - and it will - our business community will be better connected and prepared and can use this wisdom to come out the other side less wounded than we might have in the past.
Meetings will be held quarterly with the option of in-person or online. Anyone who would like to be involved can contact me at simone.dalton@wsm.org.au or call 0429 811 744.