DAFF ASSISTANCE & GRANTS
The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) administers a number of grants for rural and regional Australia.
The Australian Government is lending practical support to drought affected farmers and rural communities through income support, interest rate relief, and free financial counselling.
The types of financial, personal and business assistance measures provided by the Australian Government and other organisations are listed below:
1. Australian Farming Future Initiative
2. Exceptional Circumstance Assistance
3. Exit Grants
6. Irrigation & Management Grants
8. Professional Advise & Planning Grants
10. Tax Relief
11. Assistance for Isolated Children & Schools
1 Australia's Farming Future Initiative
Australia's Farming Future is the Australian Government's climate change initiative for primary industries. It provides funding over four years to help primary producers adapt and respond to climate change
The objective of Australia's Farming Future is to equip primary producers to adapt and adjust to the impacts of climate change.
The initiative comprises a number of elements:
- The Climate Change Research Programprovides funding for research projects and on-farm demonstration activities.
- FarmReady will help industry and primary producers develop skills and strategies to help them deal with the impacts of climate change.
- Climate Change Adjustment Program assists farmers in financial difficulty to manage the impacts of climate change. Farm Business Analysis and Financial Assessments and professional advice and training are individually tailored to help farmers adjust to climate change and to set goals and develop action plans to improve their financial circumstances. Rural financial counsellors can assist eligible farmers to take action to improve their long term financial position. Re-establishment assistance provides farmers who sell their farms with assistance to re-establish themselves.
- Transitional income support is linked to the climate changeadjustment program and provides short-term income support and advice and training opportunities to farmers in serious financial difficulty, while they adapt their farm to changing circumstances, including climate change.
- Community Networks and Capacity Building activities will focus on increasing the leadership and representative capacity of target groups including women, youth, Indigenous Australians and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
2 Exceptional Circumstances assistance measures
Information relating to the Exceptional Circumstances (EC) declaration process, including areas that are currently EC or prima facie as well as maps, eligibility criteria and application deadlines can be viewed by the below link.
The Exceptional Circumstances Exit Grant of up to $150,000 will assist farmers who have endured severe drought conditions for several years and are considering their options outside farming.
Personal income support payments through Exceptional Circumstances Relief Payment.
Farm and small business support through Exceptional Circumstances Interest Rate Subsidies.
6 Irrigation & Management Grants
If you have been affected by reduced water allocations and the drought, you're not alone.
The Australian Government has been supporting irrigators in the Murray-Darling Basin affected by reduced water allocations through the following measures:
- Murray-Darling Basin Small Block Irrigators Exit Grant Package
- Irrigation Industries Workshop Program
- Irrigation management grants
7 Support for Small Businesses
Exceptional Circumstances income and business support for eligible small businesses.
8 Professional Advice and Planning Grants
Grants of up to $5500 (GST inclusive) for drought affected farm businesses to access professional business and financial planning advice.
Farm Management Deposits are a financial risk management tool for farmers to help smooth the uneven income streams that are common in agriculture due to climate and market variability.
10 Tax Relief
Special taxation measures and concessions available to farmers affected by drought.
11 Assistance for Isolated Children
Additional assistance of up to $1000 is available under the Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) Additional Boarding Allowance. An ongoing supplementary allowance of $1000 for all students who receive an AIC Distance Education Allowance is also available. For further information call the Centrelink AIC Hotline on 13 23 18 or contact your local Centrelink branch.
Additional funding for Schools in Exceptional Circumstance areas
Additional funding of up to $10,000 per school for both government and non-government schools in rural and regional Exceptional Circumstances declared areas. For further information, contact the please contact the Capital Policy & Rural Education Section on 1300 363 079.
Regional Office Contact Details
RFCS-CW Regional Office
ABN: 54 606 039 416
Level 1, Suite 5, 137 Macquarie Street,
Dubbo NSW 2830
Telephone: 02 6884 7841
Fax: 02 6884 4926
Email: dubbo@rfcs-cw.com.au
