Key information
- Status: Open
- Grant amount: Up to $45,000
- Application opened: 10 November 2025
- Application closes: 7 March 2028, 4:00 pm
Program objective
The objective of the Forestry Industry Worker Support Program is to provide reimbursement for education, training and relocation expenses to employees of impacted mills or 'harvest and or haulage operators' who were made redundant, following the commencement of the moratorium on harvesting in the Great Koala National Park, and had to move outside the region or re-train in a new field to secure employment.
Eligible individuals will be able to apply for up to $9,000 for retraining and up-skilling expenses, and up to $45,000 for relocation expenses, if they have moved to a new residence more than 50 kilometres away.
Approved applicants will receive an up-front payment of $2,000 to use on immediate retraining and up-skilling expenses.
Applications must be submitted within 12 months from the date on which redundancy is confirmed, or by 4pm on 7 March 2028, whichever occurs first.
Please refer to the program guidelines for details, including eligibility criteria.
This program is administered by Fisheries and Forestry.
Eligibility
Who can apply
To be eligible for the Forestry Industry Worker Support Program, you must meet the eligibility requirements set out in the program guidelines and summarised below:
- you were an employee of a business with a wood supply agreement that was directly impacted by the announcement of a moratorium on timber harvesting within the proposed boundary of the Great Koala National Park
- you were made redundant within 18 months of the moratorium announcement and have been provided with an Employment Separation Certificate or other equivalent documentation confirming your redundancy from the impacted business
- you currently reside, or, at the time of the moratorium announcement, you resided in one of the eligible NSW North Coast local government areas (LGAs), including:
- Ballina
- Bellingen
- Byron
- Clarence Valley
- Coffs Harbour
- Kempsey
- Kyogle
- Lismore
- Nambucca
- Port Macquarie-Hastings
- Richmond Valley
- Tweed.
The Support Package will also be made available to the nine (9) Pentarch employees made redundant as a result of the CIFOA Protocol amendments that prevented harvesting in the Hub regions made on 19 September 2023.
Types of projects funded under this grant
Eligible expenditure is detailed in the Program Guidelines and summarised below:
- Up to $9,000 is available for education and training expenses per approved individual and/or
- Up to $45,000 is available for relocation expenses per approved individual, if they have moved to a new residence more than 50 kilometres away.
Please refer to the program guidelines for details.
What your application needs to include
Prepare your application with this checklist
Applicants will need to complete the online application form and provide the following:
- your Employment Separation Certificate or equivalent letter of confirmation from your employer of your redundancy
- confirmation of your residential address in one of the eligible LGAs
- confirmation of your bank details, such as the front page of a bank statement showing the account name, BSB, and account number.
Please refer to the program guidelines for details.
Address the eligibility criteria
Each applicant, as part of an application response, must confirm that they meet the eligibility criteria.
Applicants that do not address the eligibility criteria in full may be excluded from the application process at the department's discretion.
Start the application
Before you apply, please refer to the program guidelines for details.
Program funding is limited, and applications will be considered in order of date received.
Note: If you are a new applicant to SmartyGrants, you will need to register and create a password. If you are already registered, you can log in with your existing username and password.
Apply now
After the application is submitted
Successful applications will be decided by: Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
The NSW Fisheries and Forestry processes applications in the order they are received and will notify you of your application outcome as soon as possible.
If approved, you can claim payment up to the maximum approved grant amount by submitting valid tax invoices and proof of payment for eligible expenses.
Once your application is approved, the NSW Fisheries and Forestry will provide detailed information on the claims process.
Support and contact
Website: Establishing the Great Koala National Park
Phone number: 1800 678 593 (free call)
Email: forestryindustrysupport@dpird.nsw.gov.au