NSW Rural Assistance Authority – Transport Subsidy (Natural Disaster)

This program aims to provide a subsidy on the transport of fodder and/or water to a property, stock to/from agistment and stock to sale or slaughter following a declared Natural Disaster event, where there is a threat to livestock safety and welfare.

A subsidy of up to 50% of the total freight cost to a maximum of $15,000 per farm enterprise per financial year is available. The $15,000 is counted within a financial year from the date when the payment is made to the applicant.

The first claim must be submitted no more than six months after the declaration, with the first movement to take place within the first three months of an event. All claims must be submitted within nine months after the declaration.

Costs of transportation must be paid prior to lodging a claim for the subsidy.

Please note that drought is no longer a declared natural disaster.

Before applying for financial assistance under this program or making any decision, applicants should seek advice from their legal, business and financial advisers to determine their eligibility for and the terms of the financial assistance.

Eligible applicants must demonstrate that:
- They are the owner and/or operator (eg. lessee of a farm business in NSW).
- The business operates as a sole trader, partnership, trust or private company and trades agricultural products.
- The business is registered with the Australian Taxation Office as a primary producer, and have an Australian Business Number (ABN).
- The owners and operators of the business earn more than 50% of their gross income from the primary production enterprise under normal seasonal circumstances.
- Their primary production business is located within an eligible area as defined in the list of Declared Natural Disasters.

Eligible costs include:
- Transport of fodder for stock (including bees) to properties.
- Transporting of stock (including bees) to agistment.
- Returning stock (including bees) from agistment.
- Transport of stock to sale or slaughter.
- Transport of domestic water.
- Transport of stock drinking water.

Please refer to the Guidelines for the complete list of eligible costs.

The following are ineligible for assistance:
- Intensive industries such as piggeries, poultry units or feedlots where stock are purchased, fattened and sold; and backgrounding where stock are fattened prior to move into a feedlot.
- If a farming business has already claimed $15,000 in one financial year for this type of assistance, whether on one or more parcels of land, regardless of the location of those parcels within NSW, for one or more disasters.
- Transport of fodder weighing less than one tonne.