This grant supports the recovery of eligible primary producers and aquaculture producers affected by the NSW East Coast severe weather from 18 May 2025.
Key information
- Status: Open
- Grant amount: Up to $75,000
- Application opened: 4 July 2025
- Application closes: 4 December 2025, 4:00 pm
Program objective
The objectives of the Program are to lower disruption in affected areas and help eligible primary producers and primary production enterprises to recover by contributing to recovery costs.
The required outcomes of the Program are that eligible primary producers and primary production enterprises have cleaned up, removed debris, disposed of dead livestock and commenced or completed other reinstatement activities following an eligible disaster.
The scope and types of initiatives the grant opportunity aims at includes: clean up and reinstatement of eligible infrastructure, disposing of damaged materials, crops and/or plants, restoration of pastures, and treating injured livestock.
Primary producers in the defined disaster areas (LGAs) listed in the Program Guidelines (PDF 895.72KB) may be eligible for the grant.
This program is administered by Rural Assistance Authority.
This program is funded by NSW Reconstruction Authority.
Eligibility
Who can apply
To be eligible for the Special Disaster Relief Grant, you must meet the eligibility requirements set out in the Program Guidelines (PDF 895.72KB) and summarised below:
- you are a primary producer or have a primary production enterprise and operate as a sole trader, partnership, trust or private company in NSW
- you are a primary producer or have a primary production enterprise and hold a Class A Aquaculture Permit under the Fisheries Management Act 1984 authorising an aquaculture lease area of at least 1 hectare
- you hold an Australian Business Number (ABN) that was active at the time of the event
- you are registered as a primary producer with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO)
- at least one owner contributes part of their labour to the primary production enterprise
- the enterprise is located in a LGA declared under AGRN 1212 and suffered direct damage as a result of the disaster event
- you intend to re-establish or continue operations within the same LGA
- in at least one of the last five financial years, at least 50% of your total income must have come from primary production, with a minimum of $20,000 in gross primary production income before taxes.
Please refer to NSW Rural Assistance Authority website for detailed eligibility criteria.
Types of projects funded under this grant
Grant funds can be used for clean up and recovery expenses, including:
- removal of debris, damaged materials, and deceased livestock
- livestock health maintenance
- repair or replacement of fodder, fencing, and essential water infrastructure
- testing water and soil quality.
What your application needs to include
Applicants will need to complete the online application form and provide the following:
- the most recent year of the applying primary production enterprise’s tax returns, balance sheets and financial statements (including profit and loss statements, stock trading account and depreciation schedules)
- the most recent year of individual tax returns of all members of the primary production enterprise
Note: Tax Assessment Notices are not acceptable.
Note: Remove or redact tax file numbers before submission. - the most recent year of tax returns and financial statements for all related business entities that individual members of the primary production enterprise are involved in, if applicable
- current LGA (council) rates notice(s) and, if available, Local Land Service (LLS) rates for the property(s) where the damage occurred and the work is to be completed
- landowner consent if you do not own the land
Note: If the property(s) is leased, a lease covering the property(s) outlining the tenant’s responsibilities is required. - current relevant insurance policy relating to your primary production enterprise, if applicable
Note: Cover notes are excluded. - photographic evidence of the direct damage on your property (at least one and no more than 5 photographs evidencing direct damage)
- confirmation of the primary production enterprise’s bank details, such as the front page of a bank statement showing the account name, BSB, and account number.
Ensure that your documents are scanned individually as they will need to be uploaded to specific sections throughout the form. Please note that the online form has file size restrictions (approx. 20MB total). For each attachment, please ensure the file size is 2.5MB or less to avoid submission issues.
You can download the full guidelines:
Please refer to NSW Rural Assistance Authority website for detailed eligibility criteria.
You can also refer to our Application Tips webpage for clarification regarding the types of documentation required to evidence direct damages.
Prepare your application with this checklist
Before applying you should:
- check that your LGA is eligible for this grant
- download and read the Program Guidelines (PDF 895.72KB) including the terms and conditions - please note that the guidelines detail eligibility criteria and what you can and cannot apply for
- prepare your supporting documentation, including photographs.
Start the application
Applications for this grant are available via the NSW Rural Assistance Authority website.
After the application is submitted
Successful applications will be decided by: NSW Rural Assistance Authority
The NSW Rural Assistance Authority 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 of up to $75,000 by submitting valid tax invoices and proof of payment for eligible expenses. If you previously provided these documents to verify eligibility in your initial application, you will need to resubmit them as a claim after approval.
Once your application is approved, the RAA will provide detailed information on the claims process.
Support and contact
Website: www.raa.nsw.gov.au
Phone number: 1800 678 593 (free call)
Email:rural.assist@raa.nsw.gov.au
Program evaluation
The Natural Disaster Relief Grant will be evaluated as part of a package of programs delivered under AGRN 1212 - NSW East Coast Severe Weather from 18 May 2025.