Wimmera farmers could be having to earn a living with 12 per cent less rain by the 2050s.
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The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Economic Planning's Victoria's Climate Science Report, released on Thursday November 28, said annual rainfall was likely to decline across the state.
Citing research from Australia's national science research agency - the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation - report authors said Horsham could receive 12 per cent less rain by the middle of the century compared to the average between 1986 and 2005, if greenhouse gas emissions remained high.
They said this would be the case particularly across autumn, winter and spring.
"However, there will still be high year-to-year rainfall variability and the state is expected to see more extreme, short-duration rainfall despite this overall decrease in rainfall," report authors said.
The report also predicted the number of high fire danger days in Victoria to increase into the future.
"There may also be a greater occurrence of thunderstorms in the future. This is relevant as bushfires are often started by lightning," the authors said.
Victorian Farmers Federation Wimmera branch president Graeme Maher said the predictions didn't surprise nor concern him. He said farmers had been adapting their practices to remain profitable during low-rainfall periods for 20 years.
"I'm neither believer or a sceptic (about climate change), I just work in the climate I'm given," he said.
"(The Wimmera) was a grain growing area, but I'd argue now it's a haymaking area and the reason for that is we're taking the possibility of failed spring out of the equation. Rather than finishing growing crops now we're just cutting at the hay. 20 years ago there was virtually no hay made in the region.
"Saving moisture and using it at the appropriate time through fallowing has been one strategy to utilise every bit of rain we can. We will continue to progress and I think some of the next new strategies have not been heard of yet."
Mr Maher farms crops and sheep in Lubeck and Mount Dryden. He said he hoped the state government could encourage more long-term planning amongst farmers - such as installing silos across their properties - to help them adapt to accommodate low-rainfall years.
DELWP's community partnership program manager for the Grampians Geoff Miller said the department would stage a workshop for stakeholders in the Regional Climate Adaptation Strategy on Monday December 9.
He said the forum at Ararat's Alexandra Oval would be the first since the Regional Climate Adaptation Group, made of community members, was formed earlier this year to oversee the strategy's development.
"We are seeking to identify the immediate actions for potential funding to respond to climate change in the region immediately, but also what we need to prepare the region long-term," he said.
"DELWP has identified funding under the Supporting Our Regions to Adapt process that can be used for priorities in the next year, such as securing water supply. The five-year climate adaptation strategies have to be completed by September."
Mr Miller said people could leave their feedback on the plans via the department's website.
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