Flood-affected rural landholders who do not earn fifty percent of their income from primary production only have until September 30 to apply for funding.
Lismore MP Janelle Saffin said the Rural Landholders grant of up to $25,000 is for landholders and aquaculture farmers who don't qualify for existing programs because they don't meet the requirement that they make 50 per cent of their income from primary production.
Funding is available to those impacted by the floods from February 2022 onwards in the Northern Rivers region and in Tenterfield Shire.
Eligible funding claims may include:
- hiring or leasing equipment or materials to clean premises, property or equipment
- removing and disposing of debris, damaged goods, materials including injured or dead livestock
- repairing or replacing fencing and/or other essential property infrastructure
- purchasing and transporting fodder or feed for livestock
- replacing livestock
- replacing lost or damaged plants, salvaging crops, repairing or restoring fields
- replacing, reconditioning or replacing essential plant or equipment
- maintaining the health of livestock
- paying additional wages to an employee to assist with clean-up work (above and beyond normal wage expenditure, i.e. day-to-day staffing)
- repairing buildings (except dwellings, unless they are used for staff accommodation).
To be eligible you must normally be charged rates under the Local Land Services Act 2013 on a property of at least 10 hectares, or hold a Class A Aquaculture Permit for a lease on at least 1 hectare.
Applicants must also:
- not receive the majority of their income from primary production
- be in a LGA declared as a natural disaster approved for this program
- hold an Australian business number (ABN)
- earn no more than $180,000 from gross off-farm income
- not have gross off farm assets exceeding $5 million (excluding superannuation)
- have been active in primary production at the time of the declared natural disaster event and plan to re-establish or continue the primary production enterprise
- be able to demonstrate costs and proof of payment for clean-up activities, losses or damages from the disaster.
