South-East Local Land Services

Conditions remain variable across the region.

• March rainfall was below average in the northwest and above average in the east and south of the region during March.
• The NSW CDI categories are generally steady since the last Update.
• Some coastal regions have experienced a decline in conditions since the last Update, with a transition into the NSW CDI Drought Affected category.
• On ground reports highlight the variation in conditions across the region. Some areas are completing pasture sowing for winter feed and expecting late-season growth in established pastures. Other regions continue to manage longer-term drought conditions.
• Producers continue to monitor forecasts closely and are implementing farm management strategies in line with conditions.
• The drought forecast suggests that further regions will likely transition into the Drought Affected CDI category by the end of June (with moderate to high model agreement and moderate past accuracy). 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 January to March 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

Variable conditions continue as reflected in the drought indicators across the region.

• For some regions, particularly in the south and west, the drought indicator values have continued to remain low.
• Other areas continue to experience an improvement in the indicators and remain in the Recovery category (such as Bega).
• 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.