Community Water Supplies Partnerships Program – Australia

Deadline: 11-Nov-2024

Applications are now open for the Community Water Supplies Partnerships (CWSP) Program for community water supply improvements in dryland agricultural areas receiving fewer than 600 mm average annual rainfall.

The Community Water Supplies Partnerships (CWSP) program is 50:50 co-funded by the Australian Government National Water Grid Connections Fund and the Western Australian Government through Royalties for Regions. It provides regional communities in dryland agricultural areas with funding to improve their non-potable water supplies and is administered by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (the department).

The program’s objective is to assist broadacre farming communities in establishing or improving non-potable water supplies. This will increase water available for emergency livestock and firefighting to better prepare communities for periods of low rainfall. It will also ensure water is available for public amenities to reduce reliance on potable water supplies for non-potable needs. Non-potable water supplies are those that have not been treated to meet drinking water standards.

The focus of the program is to provide assistance to areas that have a history of water deficiency, or where on-farm and non-potable community water supplies are unreliable and unable to meet the needs of local landholders or the community.

Priority Funding Objectives

• For a project to be considered, it must provide clear benefits to the community. The priority funding objectives for the program are to provide non-potable water supplies to:
  • establish or upgrade strategic emergency water supplies for firefighting and livestock
  • reduce reliance on scheme water
  • increase public amenities through the irrigation of open spaces, such as ovals, gardens and parks.

Categories

• The following broad project categories are eligible for funding under the program:
  • construction or enhancement of water supplies to meet emergency firefighting and farm needs
  • construction or enhancement of water supplies to improve townsite amenity and reduce scheme water use
  • refurbishment of strategic agricultural area water sources to meet emergency farmland water supply needs or improve townsite amenity.

Funding Information

• Up to $100,000 is available for each project and all funds must be acquitted within two years of award.
• Funding requests of above $100,000 may be considered, subject to approval by the department and provided that the applicant contributes a minimum of 30 per cent of the total project cost.

Eligibility Criteria

• The following groups are eligible to apply:
  • local government authorities (LGAs)
  • community groups that are incorporated bodies.
• All applications must have the support of the LGA, and the application form must be signed by the LGA Mayor or President and Chief Executive Officer.
• Previous community water supplies grant recipients are reminded to make sure they are up to date with all reporting and/or acquittal requirements at the time of application. Applicants with existing CWSP projects that have outstanding progress reports or final reports may not be considered for funding.
• Applicants may apply for more than one grant.
• Applicants must have an active ABN and be a legal entity to be eligible for funding. It is not essential that applicants are registered for GST; however, it is important to note that you will not be able to claim GST if not registered. This will be taken into consideration during the assessment process.
• Preference will be given to projects that fall on LGA owned or managed tenure.

Ineligible

• The following entities are not eligible to apply but may partner with eligible applicants:
  • State Government agencies
  • businesses
  • tertiary education institutions
  • individuals.

For more information, visit Government of Western Australia.