The $100 million Critical Producer Grant Program jointly funded by the state and Commonwealth governments will provide primary producers hardest hit by floods with support to restore production systems and rebuild essential infrastructure to a standard that will better withstand future disasters.
NSW Minister for Agriculture Dugald Saunders said the grants would help primary producers in the key agriculture, horticulture, forestry and aquaculture industries get their businesses back on track.
“This package is part of more than $3.5 billion committed by both governments to help communities and industries recover from the devastation of repeated flooding events over the past year,” Mr Saunders said.
“The grants will provide the direct and much-needed assistance many primary producers need to recover, so they can get on with producing the vital products that Australia and the rest of the world relies on.”
Funding is available to primary producers for:
- Dairy – up to $100,000;
- Extensive livestock, broadacre cropping, turf production and perennial tree crops – up to $75,000;
- Apiary, poultry and pork – up to $50,000;
- Aquaculture, commercial fishers and other horticulture such as berries, vegetables, vine crops, cut flowers and nurseries – up to $30,000, and
- Private native forests and timber plantations – up to $10,000.
The Department of Regional NSW has comprehensively reviewed the impacts of the floods and consulted with the industry to ensure this funding meets the unique recovery needs of each of the impacted sectors.
Applications for the Critical Producer Grant Program are now open. For more information and to apply, visit www.nsw.gov.au/criticalproducergrant.
The Critical Producer Grant Program is designed to complement existing flood-recovery measures for individuals and businesses in disaster-declared regions, many of which are co-funded by the Australian and NSW governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.
