As the weather moves yet again into the disaster season in Queensland, preparedness is key to minimise negative effects on horticulture.
In the past decade, the state has been impacted by more than 80 significant natural disaster events resulting in more than $15.7 billion in damages to public infrastructure including a significant blow to industry.
As inhabitants observe Get Ready Queensland Week, now is the best time to prepare for extreme weather by putting in place a ‘what if’ plan.
As a big player for horticulture in Queensland, Growcom is doing their part to help growers build climate resilience and prepare for storm season through an interactive webinar on Wednesday, 30 October from 6:00pm to 6:45pm.
Growcom Climate & Resilience Coordinator Lene Knudsen will be hosting a free Hort360 Zoom Session on Natural Disaster Preparedness in which growers can participate from their own home, office or mobile device.
Ms Knudsen will explore key weather and climate projections for the region and take growers through mitigation and adaption opportunities in agriculture. She will also summarise key points from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Special Report on Climate Change and Land, exploring the important role the land sector can play in mitigating climate change, and explaining the role of best management practice.
Growcom presents this workshop as part of a series of online Zoom Sessions through the Hort360 Great Barrier Reef BMP Program and funded by the Queensland Government Reef Water Quality Program. These Zoom Sessions are designed to help growers to access information and resources available through Hort360, Growcom's best management practice (BMP) program for horticulture.
"If past experiences have taught us anything, it’s that our industry cannot afford to wait for natural disaster to hit before we consider our disaster management responses."
Growcom are expecting significant interest in the session after the first two sessions attracted more than 65 growers from a range of commodities including citrus, macadamias, small crops, sweet potatoes, and melons.
To register for the Hort360 Zoom Session on Natural Disaster Preparedness, visit the Growcom events calendar.
To download your very own Horticulture Natural Disaster Toolkit which includes a list of emergency contacts, an emergency kit checklist and a Climate Risk Assessment Template, visit here.
For more information:
Lene Knudsen
Tel: 0429 000 179
lknudsen@growcom.com.au