www.raa.nsw.gov.au
The NSW and Australian governments are committed to providing ongoing support for communities impacted by severe weather and flooding that occurred from February 2022 onwards (AGRN 1012), announcing the $100 million Critical Producer Grant, one of four recovery programs under the $150 million Primary Industry Support Package.
The Critical Producer Grant provides funding to help impacted primary producers and primary production enterprises to rebuild and recover in the medium to longer term. Funding complements the $75,000 Special Disaster Grant and will support NSW’ agriculture, horticulture, aquaculture and forestry industries.
Applications for the Critical Producer Grant are open until 30 September 2023.
All projects funded by the Critical Producer Grant must be completed and all funds expended by 31 May 2024.
| Agriculture | Horticulture | Aquaculture | Forestry |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
| Local government areas (LGAs) eligible for the Critical Producer Grant for AGRN 1012 |
|---|
| Armidale, Ballina, Bayside, Bega Valley, Bellingen, Blacktown, Blue Mountains, Byron, Camden, Campbelltown, Canterbury Bankstown, Central Coast, Cessnock, Clarence Valley, Coffs Harbour, Cumberland, Dungog, Eurobodalla, Fairfield City, Georges River, Glen Innes, Goulburn Mulwaree, Hawkesbury, Hornsby, Inner West, Kempsey, Kiama, Ku-ring-gai, Kyogle, Lake Macquarie, Lismore, Lithgow, Liverpool, Maitland, Mid Coast, Mid-Western, Muswellbrook, Nambucca, Newcastle, Northern Beaches, Parramatta, Penrith, Port Macquarie-Hastings, Port Stephens, Queanbeyan Palerang, Richmond Valley, Ryde, Shellharbour, Shoalhaven, Singleton, Snowy Monaro, Strathfield, Sutherland, Tenterfield, The Hills, Tweed, Upper Hunter, Waverley, Willoughby, Wingecarribee, Wollondilly and Wollongong. |
The Primary Industry Support Package Critical Producer Grants are available to eligible primary producers who were affected by the NSW storms and floods that occurred during February and March 2022 onwards, and who operate in specific industry sectors. Applicants can apply different funding amounts depending on their industry sector, to support their recovery following the storms and floods that occurred from February and March 2022 onwards.
Download your industry guidelines below for full details of what you can claim.
For details and how to apply for the Critical Producer Grant if you're in the Forestry industry, visit:
www.nsw.gov.au/criticalproducergrant
Agriculture - Dairy, Extensive Livestock, Intensive Livestock, Broadacre Cropping & Apiculture
Horticulture - Turf Production, Perennial Tree Crops, Vegetables, Other (fruit, berries, cut flowers, nursery etc)
Aquaculture & Commercial Fishing
The online application form has been designed to make the process as simple as possible. You will be required to upload digital copies of supporting documentation (please refer to the 'What you will need section') so please have these ready before commencing your application.
Critical Producer Grant applicants will receive a Funding Agreement upon approval of their application. Once this has been signed and returned to the Rural Assistance Authority you will receive your first milestone payment.
You can download an example copy of the Funding Agreement here (PDF, 5340.67 KB).
All Critical Producer Grant funding recipients will be paid via milestones. Please refer to the table below for an example of how the milestones are paid. Milestone values will be advised if successful and will be dependent on the value of your claim.
You will be required to provide evidence of expenditure to access each milestone payment.
To make a claim you will need:
| Industry | Maximum Grant Amount | Maximum Applicable Milestone |
|---|---|---|
Dairy | $100,000 | $25,000 (up to 4 milestones) |
| Extensive Livestock (cattle & sheep) | $75,000 | $18,750 (up to 4 milestones) |
| Broadacre Cropping | $75,000 | $18,750 (up to 4 milestones) |
| Apiary | $50,000 | $16,500 (up to 3 milestones) |
| Poultry and pork | $50,000 | $16,500 (up to 3 milestones) |
| Industry | Maximum Grant Amount | Maximum Applicable Milestone |
|---|---|---|
| Turf | $75,000 | $18,750 (up to 4 milestones) |
| Perennial Tree Crops | $75,000 | $18,750 (up to 4 milestones) |
| Fruit and Vegetables | $30,000 | $15,000 (up to 2 milestones) |
| Other Horticulture (Berries, vine crops, cut flowers, nursery etc) | $30,000 | $15,000 (up to 2 milestones) |
| Industry | Maximum Grant Amount | Maximum Applicable Milestone |
|---|---|---|
| Aquaculture | $30,000 | $15,000 (up to 2 milestones) |
| Commercial Fishers | $30,000 | $15,000 (up to 2 milestones) |
Applications are open until 30 September 2023 or until program funding is fully allocated, whichever occurs first.
Successful applicants will be notified within 20 working days of receipt of a fully completed application (including all documents required for assessment).
Project(s) and expenditure must be completed by 31 May 2024.
Click on the link below to visit the Critical Producer Grant frequently asked questions page:
Using the links below, download the relevant Example Application for your industry:
The Rural Recovery Support Service is managed by the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) and funded by Resilience NSW, to provide assistance to rural landholders and primary producers who have been impacted by the recent floods. DPI Recovery Workers are a single point of contact, providing information and referrals to support you on your recovery journey.
You can also give the RAA permission to work with your own private financial advisor or accountant to assist you, however you will be liable for any professional fees charged. Contact the Rural Assistance Authority team on 1800 678 593.
If you are experiencing any issues completing the application form, free confidential assistance is available from your local Rural Financial Counselling Service.
Support is also available to Private Native Forestry and timber plantation operators that were directly impacted by the severe weather and floods that occurred from February 2022 onwards.
For all information on the Critical Producer Grant for the forestry industry, refer to the Private Native Forestry and Timber Plantations Guidelines on the Department of Regional NSW website.