Drought Employment Program

2025

The Victorian Government is investing $1 million in a Catchment Management Authority Drought Employment Program. This program provides meaningful off-farm employment opportunities for people experiencing hardship because of dry conditions.

Corangamite CMA and Glenelg-Hopkins CMA are delivering regional Drought Employment Programs in their catchments to accelerate and bring forward essential activities to improve catchment condition and care for waterways at priority sites. This could include activities such as pest and weed control, riparian fencing and revegetation.

The Drought Employment Program is being targeted to the southwest region due to the severity and length of drought conditions, which are impacting on farmers and farm businesses. Based on responses, the CMAs will plan works within a reasonable proximity of participants’ locations.

Within the Corangamite CMA region at least five positions are available, including:

a Project Support Officer (works coordinator),
a Conservation and Land Management Team Leader (works crew team leader)
Conservation and Land Management Officer (works crew members - multiple positions).

These positions will support the planning, delivery and management of a range of on-ground actions to improve the health of waterways and catchments including fencing, revegetation and weed control.

Positions will offer flexible working arrangements and may be casual, part-time or full-time depending on the preferences of applicants.

Corangamite CMA is excited to be delivering this program in partnership with Barwon Asset Solutions, who are employing the Conservation and Land Management roles. Corangamite CMA is directly employing the Project Support Officer role. To make the process as smooth as possible, our two organisations are undertaking a joint recruitment process for all three roles.

Drought and dry conditions

Expressions of Interest

Express your interest in participating in the Drought Employment Program here

Q&A

The $1m Drought Employment Program will provide meaningful off-farm employment opportunities for people in hardship due to drought conditions. Like previous successful CMA Drought Employment Programs, this will bring forward essential landscape and waterway health activities – like riparian fencing, pest and weed control and revegetation. The program will provide up to 5 jobs to people in need in the Corangamite CMA region. The Taskforce will monitor the program and if required top it up if there is more demand.

The CMA Drought Employment Programs provide a way for people to earn an income, increase their skills and build confidence in future employment opportunities by undertaking a range of different catchment health works, like fencing, revegetation, pest and weed control, and water quality monitoring.

The Drought Employment Program will be delivered by the Corangamite CMA and the Glenelg-Hopkins CMA and be made available to farmers and farm-dependent workers in southwest Victoria who have been doing it the toughest and have experienced drought the longest (since June 2023).

The initial DEP will target 11 local government areas and parts of West Wimmera shire. The shires are: Ararat, Moyne, Colac Otway, Pyrenees, Corangamite, Southern Grampians, Glenelg, Surf Coast, Golden Plains, Warrnambool, City of Greater Geelong and southern postcodes in West Wimmera (3312, 3317, 3318 and 3319).

The Drought Employment Program is being targeted to these areas due to the ongoing impact of extended dry conditions in the southwest. Drought has led to increased livestock slaughter numbers in the region, and rates of breeding cattle slaughter is at its highest since the Millennium Drought. Milk production has also dropped 5% in recent months. These indicators show that livestock and dairy farmers are destocking and reducing the scale of farming operations given the conditions. These trends mean that there are less opportunities for on-farm employment in the region. The Drought Employment Program can provide an alternative source of meaningful employment and training for people locally.se

You can express your interest in participating in the Corangamite CMA Drought Employment Program here.

Yes. Corangamite CMA and Glenelg-Hopkins manage catchment and waterway health across the majority of the eligible LGA areas. Farmers and farm-dependent workers who live in eligible LGAs outside of the CMA regions can still apply to participate in the Drought Employment Program if they are willing to travel for work.

Rainfall deficiencies and dry conditions are impacting farmers across Victoria. Recent government support packages have ensured that many drought resilience programs, including on-farm infrastructure grants, are available statewide. The Drought Employment Program is targeting the southwest due to the extremely dry conditions that have affected farmers and industries over a long period of time since mid-2023, and the need for off-farm employment opportunities in that region. If dry conditions persist, expanding the program to other drought-affected parts of Victoria will be considered.

Yes. Like previous CMA Drought Employment Programs, farmers or farm-dependent workers who can demonstrate they have been financially impacted by drought conditions will be able to apply to participate. This can include casual farms workers and contractors. Specific eligibility requirements will be determined by the CMAs leading these Programs.

The Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action are working with Agriculture Victoria are working with industry groups and Catchment Management Authorities to minimise any risks of the Drought Employment Program competing with farms seeking employees. The scale of the Drought Employment Program means that while it is being targeted towards providing support, training and employment opportunities for up to 10 participants (casual, part-time or full-time) across the Corangamite CMA region, it should not have any significant impact on the availability of labour for farm businesses.

Some farmers and farm workers experience reduced on-farm employment during times of drought. This program offers flexible and meaningful employment to farmers and farm-dependent workers who are impacted in this way, allowing them the flexibility to return to work on the farm at times when needed.

Drought Employment Program