Support for small-scale producers and landholders, including oyster farmers, impacted by the floods and storms that occurred in declared natural disaster areas from 4 August 2022 and 14 September 2022 onwards.
Key information
- Status: Closed
- Grant amount: Up to $10,000
- Application opened: 5 December 2022
- Application closed: 30 June 2023
Program objective
The Rural Landholder Grant aims to support eligible small-scale producers and landholders, including oyster farmers, impacted by severe flood events that occurred from 4 August and 14 September 2022 onwards, providing financial assistance to help cover the cost of immediate clean-up, repairs to infrastructure and reinstatement of the primary production enterprise.
This program is administered by Rural Assistance Authority.
Eligibility
Who can apply
NSW landholders and oyster farmers impacted by severe flooding events that began on 4 August 2022 and also from 14 September 2022 onwards who are in a local government area declared for AGRN 1030 and/or AGRN 1034 and do not qualify for the primary producer Special Disaster Grant may apply for the Rural Landholder Grant to support recovery.
To be eligible for the Rural Landholder Grant, you must:
- have suffered direct damage as a result of the disaster event (NSW flooding from 4 August or 14 September 2022 onwards – also referred to as AGRN 1030 or 1034)
- be in one of the disaster-declared local government areas (LGAs)
- earn at least $20,000 from primary production per annum
- hold at least 10 ha of rural land or a Class A aquaculture permit authorising at least 1 ha or operate a bona fide primary production enterprise on a smaller area of land.
Please refer to the
File
Rural Landholders Grant Guidelines (PDF 1.46MB)for details.
Who can't apply
You will not be eligible for a grant or part of a grant if:
- you have received or are eligible to receive financial assistance for costs associated with the items described in Section 4 from another government assistance scheme
- you are entitled to receive a payment under an insurance policy for costs directly associated with items and activities you claim. You will be eligible for a grant for the portion of costs that are not covered by your insurance, or for amounts in excess of the value insured
- you have already applied for this grant in relation to the same property.
Eligible activities
You can use your grant for the following items associated with the event:
- hire or lease equipment or materials to clean premises, property or equipment
- remove and dispose of debris, damaged goods and materials, including injured or dead livestock
- repair or replace fencing and/or other essential property infrastructure
- purchase and transport fodder or feed for livestock
- replace livestock
- replace lost or damaged plants, salvage crops, repair or restore fields
- repair, recondition or replace essential plant or equipment
- maintain the health of livestock
- pay wages or labour costs of contractors, casuals or temporary staff who are engaged for clean-up and reinstatement activities
- pay the costs of additional hours (overtime or extra hours/days) worked by permanent employees to assist with
- clean-up and reinstatement activities
- repair buildings (except dwellings, unless they are used for staff accommodation)
- other claims consistent with these guidelines and agreed by the RAA.
What you can't apply for
The following costs are ineligible:
- damage to residential properties or dwellings
- damage that is covered by insurance
- own labour (including existing staff and own equipment)
- expansion projects, or areas that were not in active production at the time of the event. However, this does not prevent investing to improve future resilience through the use of more durable materials or design
- loss of income.
Most recent recipients
What your application needs to include
Prepare your application with this checklist
Applicants will need to complete the online application form and attach a copy of the following documentation:
- the most recent tax returns and financial statements for the applying entity and individual tax returns for all members of the business
- the most recent local government area rates notice (council rates notice)
- quotes, estimates, photos and tax invoices (if available)
- a current aquaculture permit (if applicable).
Please refer to the
File
Rural Landholders Grant Guidelines (PDF 1.46MB)for details.
Address the eligibility criteria
To be eligible for the Rural Landholder Grant, you must:
- have suffered direct damage as a result of the disaster event (NSW flooding from 4 August or 14 September 2022 onwards – also referred to as AGRN 1030 or 1034)
- be in one of the disaster-declared local government areas (LGAs)
- earn at least $20,000 from primary production per annum
- hold at least 10ha of rural land or a Class A aquaculture permit authorising at least 1ha or operate a bona fide primary production enterprise on a smaller area of land.
Please refer to the
File
Rural Landholders Grant Guidelines (PDF 1.46MB)for details.
Address the assessment criteria
- Applications will be assessed against the eligibility criteria by Assessment Officers on the Assessment Team, who are responsible for routine assessment against the criteria in these guidelines and recommend assessment outcomes.
- Program Officers on the Assessment Team ensure the program is administered in accordance with these guidelines and the policy intent and approve grants based on recommendations by Assessment Officers.
- The Chief Executive of the RAA is responsible for ensuring the program is administered in accordance with approved criteria and policy intent.
- The RAA reserves the right to request further information from you or from any business or individual you have engaged to assist in assessing your application and to verify any information provided in your application. Failure to provide such information may result in the RAA refusing your application.
- The RAA reserves the right to refuse an application where eligibility criteria are not met or where you do not or cannot provide sufficient information for the RAA to determine if eligibility criteria have been met.
- The RAA can put an application on hold where the applicant is under investigation or has been charged in relation to the fraudulent receipt of grants under this or other RAA programs.
- Complete applications will be assessed in order of receipt. Incomplete applications will not enter the assessment queue until all required information is provided.
- Applicants should note that past financial assistance under this program or any other program is not a reliable indicator of eligibility for future financial assistance under this program.
- Applications submitted may be subject to audit by the RAA or its agents in order to determine compliance with scheme guidelines.
- Before applying for financial assistance under this program, you should seek advice from your legal, business or financial advisers about the tax implications of this financial assistance.
- You will be expected to provide a range of supporting documentation that may include the latest Local Land Services rates notice, Aquaculture Permit, Local Government Area rate notice tax returns and financial statements for the applying entity.
- You may be asked for a copy of your insurance policy.
After the application is submitted
Successful applications will be decided by: NSW Rural Assistance Authority.
Applications will be assessed and both successful and unsuccessful applicants will be notified.
We will publish successful recipients on nsw.gov.au as grants are awarded.
Please note: Individual recipient information will be removed to ensure statutory compliance with the provisions of the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act (PPIP) 1988.
In addition, the Minister for Agriculture and Western NSW has approved a policy exception to not publish non-individual recipient data. For non-competitive programs that have a high-volume of low-value grants, which are predominantly awarded to individuals, it is not practical or feasible to separate applicant information and doing so would adversely affect the achievement of government policy outcomes.
Support and contact
If you need assistance with submitting your application, please contact us per below:
- Phone: 1800 678 593
- Email: rural.assist@raa.nsw.gov.au
- Postal Address: Locked Bag 23, Orange NSW 2800.