Primary Producer Flood Recovery Transport Support Program (Australia)

Deadline: 30-Apr-23

The Rural Finance is accepting applications for Primary Producer Flood Recovery Transport Support Program.

The program is jointly funded by the Commonwealth and Victorian Governments under the Disaster Recovery.

Funding Arrangements in relation to the Victorian Floods which commenced in October 2022 (AGRN 1037) (the “2022 Victorian Floods”). The defined disaster area incorporates the local government areas listed on the Rural Finance website or on the Australian Government Disaster Assist website.

Eligible Primary Producers can claim the support for eligible transport costs that directly address immediate animal welfare and safety needs, including:

• Transport of emergency fodder for stock to flood-affected properties
• Transport of stock to agistment including returning stock
• Transport of stock to sale or slaughter
• Transport of emergency stock drinking water.

Funding Information

• A transport subsidy of up to $15,000 (GST exclusive) is available for eligible Primary Producers directly affected by the 2022 Victorian Floods.

Eligible Activities

• Transporting of emergency fodder for stock to flood-affected properties
• Transporting of stock to agistment (including returning stock)
• Transporting of stock to sale or slaughter
• Transporting of emergency stock drinking water.

Eligibility Criteria

• To be eligible for the Transport Support Program, the applicant must:
  • Be a Primary Producer,
  • Devote part of their labour to the Primary Production Enterprise;
  • Derive at least 50 per cent of their gross income from Primary Production in an average year;
  • Hold an Australian Business Number (ABN) and have held that ABN at the time of the disaster;
  • Have a Primary Production Enterprise that is located in the defined disaster area for the eligible disaster and have suffered direct damage as a result of the eligible disaster;
  • Have been engaged in carrying on the primary production enterprise when affected by the eligible disaster;
  • Intend to re-establish the Primary Production enterprise in the same community, region or sector as the defined disaster area for the eligible disaster;
  • Be primarily responsible for meeting the costs claimed in the applications.
• An applicant may also be eligible for the Transport subsidy if in the opinion of Rural Finance:
  • based on the demonstrated production potential, the primary production enterprise will derive at least 50 per cent of their gross incomes from the primary production enterprise1 within a three-to-eight-year period, taking into account the nature of the industry; or
  • If the income is less than 50 per cent of their total gross income, the applicant can demonstrate it is a commercial enterprise generating more than $75,000 gross income from the primary production enterprise in an average year.
  • A Primary Producer applicant may also be eligible for the Transport subsidy if both of the following apply:
  • The applicant’s Primary Production Enterprise is located outside the defined disaster area for the eligible disaster but is carried on at least sometime on a regular basis within that area; and
  • Property, plant or equipment of the Primary Production Enterprise situated in the defined disaster area has been damaged as a result of the 2022 Victorian Floods.
  • Where two or more independent and separately owned Primary Producers operate a Primary Production
• Enterprise from the same property, each Primary Producer may be eligible to receive the maximum amount of grant funding providing each applicant can demonstrate that:
  • The Primary Production Enterprises are independently owned and separately operated from any other Primary Production Enterprise operated on that property;
  • Each Primary Producer would be eligible for the grant in their own right (including the requirement that they derive at least 50 per cent of their gross income from the Primary Production Enterprise);
  • The Primary Producers are each claiming for different expenses from those claimed by the other Primary Producer operating a Primary Production Enterprise from the same property; and
  • The expenses that each Primary Producer is claiming are essential to the operation of their respective Primary Production Enterprises.

For more information, visit Rural Finance.