Drought Ready and Resilient Fund
The NSW Government has announced a commitment of $250 million to establish the Drought Ready and Resilient Fund, an initiative designed to bolster the resilience of NSW farmers to future adverse weather events and climatic conditions, such as drought.
Through the Drought Ready and Resilient Fund, eligible primary producers can access a low interest loan up to $250,000 to help prepare for, manage and recover from drought.
The loan can be used for products, activities and services relating to animal welfare, farm preparedness, income diversification, environmental improvements as well as training and business development.
The Drought Ready and Resilient Fund loan facility has been designed to complement the existing Drought Infrastructure Fund loan product, formerly known as the Farm Innovation Fund.
Applications are now open and will continue to be accepted until program funding is exhausted.
Please refer to the program guidelines for detail, including eligibility criteria:
Program Guidelines – Drought Ready and Resilient Fund
The Drought Ready and Resilient Fund loan is available to eligible sole traders, partnerships, trusts or private companies who operate in the primary production sector in NSW.
To be eligible, applicants must earn at least 50% of gross income or at least $75,000 in one year from the primary production business, or be a bona fide primary production enterprise.
Please refer to the program guidelines for further detail:
Drought Ready and Resilient Fund Loan – Program Guidelines
Drought Ready and Resilient Fund loans can be used to purchase a broad range of products, activities and services, including:
- the purchase and transportation of fodder and water
- livestock feeding equipment
- veterinary and animal welfare professional services
- genetic banking
- fencing and containment pens
- shade structures
- planting of trees
- farm income diversification projects
- pest and weed control
- solar power conversion
- soil conservation and earthworks
- training and development
- infrastructure repairs and maintenance
- the purchase and installation of new on-farm infrastructure.
Please refer to the program guidelines for further detail:
Drought Ready and Resilient Fund Loan – Program Guidelines
Maximum amount:
Drought Ready and Resilient Fund loans are up to a maximum of $250,000.
Interest rate:
The current interest rate for Drought Ready and Resilient Fund loans is:
- 5.6% per annum for a 5-year loan
- 6.2% per annum for a 10-year loan
Customers will be provided with an indicative interest rate at the point of application, however the rate applied to the loan will not be determined until the date of first drawn down.
The interest rate applied to the loan is fixed for the term of the loan.
Repayments:
Loans can be repaid monthly, quarterly, bi-annually or annually over a term of five or ten years.
Please refer to the program guidelines for further detail:
Drought Ready and Resilient Fund Loan – Program Guidelines
When you lodge an application for a loan, you will need copies of the following documents:
- Signed Mortgagees Consent Form from your existing mortgagee (download a Mortgagees Consent Form)
- Last three years balance sheets and financial statements of your farm enterprise (these include profit and loss statements, stock trading account and depreciation schedules)
- Last three years individual taxation returns and a current listing of all assets and liabilities held by each: Individual members of a partnership/family trust and individual director(s)/shareholder(s) of all companies
- Farm Business Resilience Plan (download Farm Business Plan Template)
- Trust deed (if applicable)
- Monthly cash flow budget for the next 12 months
- Current LGA (council) rates and LLS rates notice(s) for property(s) where the work is to be completed.
The online application form has been designed to make the process as simple as possible. We recommend you have all scanned documents ready to upload before starting the process. We also recommend that you use the Google Chrome browser when applying.
Please note that the online form has file size restrictions (approx. 20MB total) – for each attachment please ensure the file size is 2.5MB or less to avoid submission issues.
If you are unsure at any stage of the process as to how to complete the online application form, please use the Drought Ready and Resilient Fund example application document for information and helpful tips on how to proceed:
Drought Ready and Resilient Fund - Example Application
Below is a summary of the RAA's application and claim process for the Drought Ready and Resilient Fund:
Once your application has been approved, you will be advised of the process to submit invoices to claim payment. We recommend you use the Google Chrome browser when submitting a claim.
Please note that the online form has file size restrictions (approx. 20MB total) – for each attachment please ensure the file size is 2.5MB or less to avoid submission issues.
To submit a claim, you will need:
- BP reference number
- ABN number
- Case number from original application
- Tax invoices
- Proof of payment.
Please note, invoices to be claimed under this program must be submitted within six months of application approval.
Below is a summary of the RAA's application and claim process for the Drought Ready and Resilient Fund:
Additional information about the Drought Ready and Resilient Fund can be found on our Frequently Asked Questions webpage:
Visit NSW DroughtHub for more information on the full range of drought assistance available to NSW farmers.
If you have any questions about this program you can contact our team by calling 1800 678 593 or emailing rural.assist@raa.nsw.gov.au.
If you have difficulty understanding the guidelines or completing the application form you should seek the assistance of your rural/financial counsellor, business advisor, accountant or a trusted family member/friend. If you need assistance with interpreting or translating, please contact Multicultural NSW on 1300 651 500 or email languageservices@multicultural.nsw.gov.au.
If you are experiencing any issues completing the form, free confidential assistance is available from your local Rural Financial Counselling Service (RFCS). For more information, visit the RFCS website or call:
- Northern region: 1800 344 090
- Southern and Central region: 1800 319 458
