Thresholds for resilience in regional communities
Abstract
The Australian cotton industry and communities in regions where cotton is grown will continue to experience change challenges associated with drought and water policy, population dynamics, technology adoption and other ongoing growth and decline transitions into the future. Considering the attendant social, ecological and economic impacts of these and other challenges, the cotton industry’s social licence to operate is an important asset for ensuring the industry’s sustainability. The cotton industry’s sustained performance in this dynamic environment depends on the skills and capacities of the agricultural and general service sectors, and of the regional communities where the industry is located. Supporting community resilience and adaptive capacity in these regions aligns with the industry’s key strategic interests, including in: Workforce (attracting and retaining people and skills to regional towns), Networks (strong networks within the industry and with other sectors); and Communication (stakeholder engagement and maintaining the cotton industry’s social licence). This research project was funded by the Cotton Research and Development Corporation (CRDC) to understand what makes regional communities adaptive and resilient, and how the sector can contribute to supporting community resilience and adaptive capacity in cotton growing regions. The project conducted three resilience assessments with community and cotton sector stakeholders in the regional towns of Goondiwindi, Warren and Walgett. The assessment process helped to define potential roles for the cotton industry, local and state government bodies, and other regional bodies in supporting community resilience.
This item appears in the following categories
- 2020 Final Reports
CRDC Final Reports submitted in 2020