Cohort 1
WHO ARE WE
CHRRUP is the independent backbone organisation for the Central Highlands. We deliver coordinated economic, social and environmental outcomes by uniting cross-sector leaders, accessing investment, and driving measurable change.
We are the accountable regional delivery platform and execution partner for social and economic capacity building and strength in shared resource use across Central and Western Queensland.
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Mobilising strategic funding and partnerships.
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Connecting regional producers with innovation and workforce solutions.
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Supporting land, water and community resilience.
Who We support
CHRRUP supports the agricultural communities of central and western Queensland, with a remote workforce.
Our initiatives aim to connect primary producers, agribusiness owners and community members with the information and resources required to enhance both business and community outcomes.
Strategic Pillars
We drive progress through three interconnected strategic pillars, focused on accelerating regional priorities: Innovation, Skilled Workforce, and Sustainable Resource Use.
Regional Futures & Economic Integration
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What it is: Strategic Investment Pipeline Management. We convene executive cross-sector leaders (Ag, Mining, Renewables, Govt) through the RFRT to identify, prioritise, and secure funding for the region's most critical, collaborative economic initiatives. This is the mechanism for turning plans into funded projects and achieving strategic alignment across the region.
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Key Partners: Executed in collaboration with Frontier CQ and informed by state and regional strategic planning programs.
This pillar is about strategic control and de-duplicating investment by creating a unified action plan for the region.
• What it Involves: We convene the Regional Futures Round Table (RFRT), bringing together executive leaders from Agriculture, Mining, Government, and Renewables. The RFRT acts as the strategic investment pipeline manager, ensuring resources are not duplicated and priorities are agreed upon. It is governed by a formal RACI framework to ensure accountability and direct influence on every project.
• Key Deliverables: A clear, coordinated, and funded pipeline of cross-sectoral economic development projects; strong alignment with major state and national strategies (e.g., Prosper 2050); and effective coordination with regional
Land & Water Stewardship
• What it is: Securing Regional Resilience and Natural Capital. We lead climate adaptation, focusing on land rehydration, water access, and efficiency to build long-term drought resilience. This includes co-designing a sustainable resource legacy through Post-Mining Land Use (PMLU) projects that create new, productive agricultural land.
• Key Projects: Greener Pastures, Land Rehydration, and Water Efficiency programs.
This pillar is focused on co-owning the solution to regional climate risk by proactively managing land and water resources to prepare for future challenges and create new assets.
• What it Involves: We are actively driving climate resilience and co-designing the post-mining economy through collaborative solutions to regional climate risk, delivered through:
o Climate & Water Security: Focusing on land rehydration, water access, and efficiency across agricultural enterprises to build drought resilience.
o Post-Mining Land Transformation: Through large-scale projects like Greener Pastures, we pioneer the rehabilitation of regional land resources into productive agricultural properties.
• Key Deliverables: Demonstrable success in Post-Mining Land Use (PMLU); measurable improvements in regional water efficiency and land health; and a stronger capacity for the agricultural sector to manage climate variability.
Producer Support & Ag Tech
• What it is: Future-Proofing Production and Workforce. We run the Regional Enablers Ag Tech Accelerator to quickly drive innovation adoption. This is coupled with essential upskilling programs like LEADAg and practical farm safety tools like Safe Station to ensure the region has a competitive, skilled, and safe agricultural workforce for the future.
• Key Programs: Regional Enablers Ag Tech Accelerator, LEADAg, and Safe Station.
This pillar is dedicated to securing a competitive regional workforce and accelerating innovation directly into the supply chain.
• What it Involves: We run the Regional Enablers Ag Tech Accelerator—intended to normalise continuous improvement and innovation by supporting small players to bring their practical ideas to life and make them real. This accelerator acts as your source for validated, scalable innovation. This is coupled with essential upskilling programs like the LEADAg program (to develop future regional leadership, starting from primary school students) and Safe Station to ensure a high-performing, safe, and modern workforce. We are building the agile, skilled workforce required for the 2050 vision. Crucially, this pillar also focuses on supporting producer learning to enable informed decision-making on complex challenges, including:
o Resource and Regulatory Compliance: Offering guidance on issues such as gas on producer land (addressing the current gap left by the lack of a state government gas commission).
o Risk Management: Providing resources and learning pathways for biosecurity and legislative compliance.
o Business Continuity: Supporting crucial long-term planning, such as succession planning.
• Key Deliverables: Accelerated adoption of value-adding technology; a measurable increase in workforce skills and leadership capability across the region's agricultural businesses; and reduced on-farm risks via the implementation of proven systems.
“Together, these pillars form the foundation of CHRRUP’s commitment to building a sustainable and prosperous future for rural Queensland.”
OUR PROGRAMS
Our initiatives aim to connect primary producers, agribusiness owners and community members with the information and resources required to enhance both business and community outcomes.
'Rural Enabler' is CHRRUP's three year AgTech adoption programme that connects graziers and farmers in Central and Western Queensland with technology providers to refine and implement agricultural solutions specific to the region's needs.
2025 Strategic Outcomes
Following the 2025 CHRRUP AGM & Regional Futures Forum. A unified regional mandate for action has been established. This signifies a critical shift. Moving the focus from planning and discussion to immediate.
The forum identified three nonnegotiable priorities for immediate action. These priorities directly align with and accelerate our core pillars.
Liveability - Leading the formalisation and execution of solutions for core support services and liveability.
Post Mining Land Use (PMLU) Reframing - Finalising the PMLU Strategy and protocol. Positioning PMLU as a positive economic asset and opportunity for the region.
Ag Tech Acceleration - Launching the first Demonstration Pilot project and integrating Ag Tech adoption as a core workforce solution.
The primary vehicle for delivering these outcomes is the formalised Regional Futures Round Table (RFRT). This body will act as the collective governance and delivery mechanism. Ensuring that input directly translates into strategic influence and investment decisions.
Get Involved
Join our mailing list to stay informed about strategic initiatives, events and funding opportunities shaping the future of Central and Western Queensland.
OUR region
CHRRUP serves the agricultural communities of central and western Queensland, with a remote workforce and a head office in Emerald.
