Smart Grazing, Stronger Lands

Expression of Interest – Mentoring and Demonstration Sites

Supporting pastoralists and land managers throughout Australia's Southern Rangelands to adopt proven climate-smart decision support tools and technologies to improve grazing management and ecosystem health.

The SA Arid Lands Landscape Board is looking for pastoral landholders across the SA Arid Lands who want hands-on support to start using climate-smart decision-making tools or technology on their properties. This includes options for tracking groundcover, feed budgeting, monitoring stock movements and tools or supports that assist in decision making leading into dry times. This project aims to support pastoralists in implementing decision-making tools they have been interested in but may not have had the opportunity to pursue

There are multiple opportunities to be involved, either with personalised one-on-one training and/or workshops (mentoring) or by trailing a new decision making tool/technolgy on a property and sharing the learning with others (demonstration sites)

What’s in it for you?

Mentoring sites: Support for 1:1 training and workshops with a decision-making tool expert over two years.

Demonstration sites: up to $35,000 per property for at least two properties to cover setup costs and on-ground works for a decision-making tool. This can include tool/tech installation and associated infrastructure to implement the tool.

Connection to the SA Drought Hub network, peer learning with other sites, and ongoing support from program staff

This project is recommended for producers who have completed grazing or land management training (Grazing Land Management, Holistic Management, Property Management Planning, an RCS grazing course or similar) or have identified a decision-making support tool that could work for their operation but haven't yet implemented it. We're looking for producers who are ready to take the supported next steps.

Group applications are welcome. If you have neighbours or fellow producers working on similar challenges, you can apply together.

Applications close 2pm 22 June 2026. It is recommended that you discuss your ideas with staff before applying. Sustainable Agriculture Facilitator Jade Leyden can be contacted on 0438 990 399 or jade.leyden@sa.gov.au

About Smart Grazing Stronger Lands

What is Smart Grazing, Stronger Lands?

It is an SA Drought Hub led project covering 1.5 million square kilometres of Australia’s Southern Rangelands. It aims to help pastoralists and land managers use climate-smart decision making tools and tech that are already available and provide hands-on support around using them. The SA Arid Lands Landscape Board is delivering the South Australian component of this project alongside a consortium of other project partners working together across the Southern Rangelands.

What sort of decision making tools and tech could be considered?

Some examples, grouped by what the tool helps you do:

Working out the feed you’ve got available, and what to do with it

Feed budgeting tools and apps

Decision-making tools for going into dry times

Knowing what your country is doing

Satellite or remote sensing for groundcover

Drones for assessing land condition

Vegetation structure and groundcover monitoring

Tracking and managing stock

Ceres tags - understanding stock movement

Walkover weighing

Sheep EID - using the data for decision making

Preg scanning

Getting numbers off your country and water points

Soil moisture probes, weather stations, water sensors

Telemetry (used for decision-making, not just monitoring)

Something else?

The above list are just some ideas and if you’ve got something else in mind, a new AI tool, carbon or biodiversity monitoring, soil testing kit, or something nobody’s tried yet and is linked to decision making tools related to climate contact us to talk it through before applying.

Please note that the tools need to align with implementing climate	-smart decision making eg tools that help your business be successful in a changing climate.

What’s a mentoring site?

Funded 1:1 time with the tool developer or expert in the use of the tool over the next 18 months, creating personalised support to implement the tool on your property or across a group or properties. Five opportunities are available.

What’s a demonstration site?

Funding to cover the setup costs and on-ground works to install a decision-making tool on a property. In return, the landowner must be willing to share learnings, host other producers for a sticky beak day, and be part of a case study. Demonstration sites will need to be established by December 2026 with ongoing support for monitoring and sharing success available through to early 2028. At least two opportunities are available.

Who can apply?

Ideally you need to be located in the SA Arid Lands Landscape Board region but applications will be considered in the pastoral areas of the Murraylands and Riverland, Northern and Yorke or Eyre Peninsula.

Can we apply as a group?

Yes, and we encourage it.

If you've got a few neighbours or fellow producers working on the same challenge, you can apply together. One person is the lead applicant, and the others participate alongside them. Primarily applicable for the mentoring stream, the group shares the benefit of the 1:1 with an expert in that decision-making tool and you support each other between sessions.

How groups work:

2–5 producers working on the same or closely related decision-making tools

One nominated lead applicant who will be the main contact

Individuals will still get the same 1:1 training and mentoring

The group meets a few times across the project to share successes and challenges

What’s in it for you?

Mentoring sites: Support for 1:1 training and workshops with a decision-making tool expert over two years.

Demonstration sites: up to $35,000 per property for at least two properties to cover setup costs and on-ground works for a decision-making tool. This can include tool/tech installation and associated infrastructure to implement the tool.

Connection to the SA Drought Hub network, peer learning with other sites, and ongoing support from program staff

What we expect from you

Share your experience with us as you go.

Stay engaged with your tool expert / mentor and the SAAL Landscape Board through the project

Participating in pre and post project evaluations

For demonstration sites, completing a final report, participating in case studies and hosting field days to share successes and learning (with support from SAAL)

How to apply

Apply via SmartyGrants here: https://landscape.smartygrants.com.au/SGSL

For more information or to discuss your idea contact Jade Leyden on 0438 990 399.

Closing date: 2pm 22 June 2026

How we will assess your application

You have clearly identified a need for a decision support tool relating to climate

If applying for a demonstration site, a clear project plan is needed (the EOI form will step you through what’s needed). There is no minimum in-kind requirements, however higher levels of in-kind will be viewed favourably

Applications that work/share knowledge across multiple properties will be considered more favourably.

Applicants will be notified of the outcome by 30 June 2026. The program will commence in July 2026

If successful as a mentoring site, a project officer will work with you (and if applicable, your group) to link with an expert in that decision-making tool.

If successful as a demonstration site, a grant agreement will be created for work to commence late in July.