NSW Rural Assistance Authority – Special Disaster Grant

This program seeks to assist eligible primary producers impacted by 2019-2020 summer bushfire events (commencing August 2019) with the costs of immediate clean-up and repairs, where those costs are not covered by other assistance measures or existing insurance policies. It is a jointly funded measure between the Commonwealth and relevant state governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).

Assistance is currently available to the following affected local government areas: Armidale, Ballina, Bega Valley, Bellingen, Blue Mountains, Byron, Central Coast, Cessnock, Clarence Valley, Coffs Harbour, Cootamundra-Gundagai, Eurobodalla, Glen Innes Severn, Goulburn Mulwaree, Greater Hume, Gwydir, Hawkesbury, Inverell, Kempsey, Ku-ring-gai, Kyogle, Lake Macquarie, Lismore, Lithgow, Mid-Coast, Mid-Western, Muswellbrook, Nambucca, Narrabri, Oberon, Penrith, Port Macquarie-Hastings, Queanbeyan-Palerang, Richmond Valley, Singleton, Shoalhaven, Snowy Monaro, Snowy Valleys, Sutherland, Tamworth, Tenterfield, Tweed, Upper Hunter, Upper Lachlan, Uralla, Wagga Wagga, Walcha, Wingecarribee and Wollondilly.

Grants of up to $75,000 are available per affected property.

The Australian Government has made this grant assistance received under this scheme non-assessable, non-exempt income.

Eligible applicants must:
- Be a primary producer.
- Earn more than 50% of their total gross income from primary production.
- Spend part of their labour on primary production.
- Have a primary production enterprise located in the defined area for the eligible disaster that has suffered direct damage as a result of the eligible disaster.
- Hold an Australian Business Number (ABN) and have held that ABN at the time of the disaster.
- Have been carrying on that business at the time of the disaster.
- Intend to re-establish the primary production enterprise.
- Have lodged an application by 15 December 2020.

Please refer to the Guidelines for the complete eligibility requirements.

Eligible costs are those associated with:
- Hiring, leasing or purchase of equipment and/or materials to undertake clean-up.
- Additional labour costs (above and beyond normal wage expenditure, i.e. day-to-day staffing).
- Disposing of damaged goods and injured or dead livestock, including associated costs.
- Repairing a building or repairing or replacing fittings in a building, if the repair or replacement is essential for resuming operation of the primary production enterprise. (Funding is not available for repairs to a building that is used as a dwelling, unless it is used for carrying on the primary production enterprise, for example staff accommodation).
- Repairing or replacing fencing and horticultural netting (not covered by other assistance).
- Reconditioning/repairing essential plant and equipment, including repairing damage to, or replacing, water tanks, desilting dams, water reticulation systems, forestry equipment, aquaculture and fishing equipment.
- Salvaging (but not replacing) crops, grain, feed, fertiliser and timber.
- Health assessment, treatment and maintenance for livestock, poultry and aquaculture species.
- Purchase of fodder, grain, and feeds for livestock and poultry, and/or stock agistment costs, and associated transport costs (not covered by other assistance).
- Purchase or hire/lease costs for equipment essential to the immediate resumption of the business (e.g. energy equipment such as generators and solar panels for non-residential purposes).
- Replacement of essential water used for firefighting purposes.
- Water cartage.
- Payment for tradespeople to conduct safety inspections.