Northern Australia experiences significant rainfall variability which impacts the regional grazing industry. Despite the existence of prediction skill in current global forecast models on multi-week to seasonal time-scales, uptake of these forecasts by graziers is below desired levels. The Northern Australia Climate Program (NACP), consisting of research, development, and extension teams, is aimed at improving these forecasts to increase use among the northern Australian grazing industry. One unique aspect of this program is the use of ‘Climate Mates’ in extension work.
Eight ‘Climate Mates’, regionally-located part-time extension officers, were hired based on connections to their community, local knowledge of the grazing industry, and communications skills. Training was provided for the Climate Mates by experts in various climate and extension fields, including program partners at the Bureau of Meteorology, the University of Southern Queensland, and Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries. The Climate Mates perform extension activities, such as speaking at workshops and ‘Kitchen Table Talks’ to communicate NACP findings and NACP-developed climate tools.
Regional reception of the Climate Mates has been overwhelmingly positive, likely due to their already having existing relationships with other producers and regional knowledge. Communication of NACP research and products to producers via the Climate Mates has been efficient and regionally applicable. Furthermore, feedback from producers can be communicated to the scientists via the Climate Mates. This enables scientists to tailor forecasts to suit local grazing industry requirements. Initial training, ongoing training, and administrative and technical support all contribute to the success of the Climate Mates.
The ‘Climate Mate’ model is easily applicable to other regions and industries. These extension specialists are a critical part in meeting and documenting extension project goals such as improved knowledge and practice change. Lessons learned from experiences with the NACP should be considered when implementing the Climate Mate model elsewhere.