Emergency Water Infrastructure Rebate Scheme
Commonwealth Government’s EWIR Scheme
An update on the Commonwealth Government’s Emergency Water Infrastructure Rebate (EWIR) Scheme:
There has been an unprecedented demand for the EWIR program which has seen available funding exhausted.
The Commonwealth Government has advised the NSW Government that there is no available funding and the scheme is now closed to new applicants.
The NSW Government has urgently requested the Commonwealth reconsider additional funding for this program, however as stated in the guidelines for the program, the availability of rebates is subject to funds being available and no rebates can be offered beyond the allocated funding.
As a result the RAA is obligated to close the program. As funding negotiations continue, we will continue to update the website as more information is available.
Funding for the Emergency Water Infrastructure Rebate (EWIR) scheme has recently been extended, with an additional $9.25 million available to drought affected farmers in NSW for the purchase and upgrade of on-farm water infrastructure.
The Emergency Water Infrastructure Rebate scheme is available to eligible primary producers who can claim rebates of up to $25,000 on new purchases and installation costs of water infrastructure projects for animal welfare needs. This includes the installation of pipes, water storage and water pumps, de-silting dams and associated power supplies such as generators. This Rebate scheme can be applied to costs incurred from 1st July 2018.
For invoices dated from 1 July 2019, the program is also open to horticulturalists with permanent plantings who can apply to install new bores or desilt dams.
The maximum that can be claimed is $25,000 per farm enterprise. The availability of rebates is subject to funds being available. No rebates will be offered beyond the allocated funding.
Applications for assistance closed on 14 May 2020 due to the exhaustion of Commonwealth funding.
The application process
