South-East Local Land Services

Longer-term rainfall deficits have seen drought conditions expand in the south of the region.

• December rainfall was average to below average across much of the region, which continues to contribute to the variation in conditions being experienced.
• Drought conditions persist in the south and west of the region, particularly the southern Monaro and Yass regions, where the values for the indicators remain low due to rainfall deficits over several months.
• Further rainfall is needed to improve conditions, maintain soil moisture levels and plant growth through summer.
• Producers continue to monitor forecasts closely and are implementing farm management strategies in line with conditions.
• The drought forecast suggests the parts of the south and north of the LLS region will likely be in the Drought Affected category by the end of March 2025. Other parts of the region will likely be in the Recovery or Non-Drought category.
• The DPIRD continues to closely monitor conditions in this region.

Click on the scroll bar below the map to compare with previous months.

Normalised Difference Vegetation Index

Plant greenness levels remain variable across the region for the October to December period; anomalies remain below average for parts of the region.

Note that some of the extremely negative NDVI areas (brown patches) are water bodies or from the influence of forestry operations.

The NDVI anomaly is a useful measure of vegetation density and plant health. It estimates the amount of green vegetation there is in the landscape compared to what is expected at the given time of year, against the baseline period 1987 - 2020

Individual Drought Indicators

Drought indicators are variable across the region, with a decline in the Rainfall Index driving the transition to the Drought Affected category.

• While still high in many areas, the drought indicator values have declined for some regions over the past month.
• Other areas are experiencing low or declining indicator values and a continuation of drought conditions.
• Further rainfall is needed to improve conditions in the south, and maintain positive production outlooks in other parts of the region.

To access a Drought History chart for your Parish, visit the Seasonal Conditions Information Portal.