Support for primary producers impacted by the floods and severe weather that occurred in declared natural disaster areas from February 2022 onwards.
Key information
- Status: Closed
- Grant amount: Up to $75,000
- Application opened: 7 March 2022
- Application closed: 30 June 2023
Program objective
The Special Disaster Grant aims to support eligible primary producers impacted by severe flood events that occurred from 22 February 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
NSW primary producers impacted by severe weather and flood events that occured from 22 February 2022 onwards, who are in a local government area declared for AGRN 1012 may apply for the Special Disaster Grant to support recovery.
To be eligible for the Special Disaster Grant, you must:
- be a primary producer
- draw at least 50% of your gross income from your primary production enterprise
- contribute a part of your labour to the primary production enterprise
- hold an active Australian Business Number (ABN) and have held that ABN at the time of this event
- have a primary production enterprise located in the defined area that has suffered direct damage as a result of this event
- have been engaged in carrying on the primary production enterprise when affected by this event
- lodge an application by the closing date shown on the RAA website
- intend to re-establish or continue the primary production enterprise.
Please refer to the
File
Special Disaster Assistance Primary Producer Grants - Category D Natural Disaster Assistance (PDF 2.64MB).
What the grant can be used for
You can use your grant for the following items associated with the event:
- help pay for the costs of clean up, reinstatement activities and emergency measures associated with the immediate recovery of your primary production enterprise
- hire or lease equipment or materials to clean premises, property or equipment
- remove and dispose of debris, damaged goods or 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 (physical assets) to return infrastructure to its previous standard, or to a standard that improves future resilience
- 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).
Please refer to the program guidelines for details.
Most recent recipients
What your application needs to include
You can also download the complete
File
Special Disaster Assistance Primary Producer Grants - Category D Natural Disaster Assistance (PDF 2.64MB).
Prepare your application with this checklist
Applicants must 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).
Address the eligibility criteria
You must:
- be a primary producer;
- draw at least 50% of your gross income from your primary production enterprise
- contribute a part of your labour to the primary production enterprise
- hold an active Australian Business Number (ABN) and have held that ABN at the time of this event;
- have a primary production enterprise located in the defined area that has suffered direct damage as a result of this event;
- have been engaged in carrying on the primary production enterprise when affected by this event;
- lodge an application by the closing date shown on the RAA website: see link.
- intend to re-establish or continue the primary production enterprise.
You can find definitions for these terms in the
You can also download the complete
File
Special Disaster Assistance Primary Producer Grants - Category D Natural Disaster Assistance (PDF 2.64MB).
There are clauses relating to new entrants, seasonal conditions, separate businesses and value-adding, that may impact your eligibility. See full Terms and Conditions from page 3 for details.
If you have previously been approved for assistance through the Rural Assistance Authority (RAA) and provided the above documents in the past 12 months, you may not need to provide them again.
Address the assessment criteria
Applications will be assessed against the eligibility criteria.
- RAA may take into account your credit position and the status of any existing loans to help verify your intention to re-establish or continue the primary production enterprise.
- 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 RAA refusing your application.
- 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 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, including the latest local council rate notice; latest available Tax Return and Financial Statement for your farm business and complete copies of personal Tax Returns for each member of the farm business.
- You should also include personal taxation returns for all beneficiaries of trusts and all Directors/Shareholders of a company where other entities are involved. This assists in determining primary producer status.
Start the application
Applications for this grant are now closed.
After the application is submitted
Successful applications will be decided by: NSW Rural Assistance Authority.
The 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
Phone: 1800 678 593
Email: rural.assist@raa.nsw.gov.au
Postal Address: Locked Bag 23, Orange NSW 2800.