Flood Grants and Farms of the Future

NSW RAA Disaster Grants for Flood Impacted Areas – closing 30 June 2023 Primary producers that have been impacted by flooding events in the 2022 calendar year encouraged to check eligibility for disaster assistance for repairing or replacing farm infrastructure including any dams, fences, roads and buildings. The final date for applications is Friday, 30 June 2023. The grant amount is for up to $75,000 with invoices but $25,000 is available up front prior to the commencement of any works. Applications are closing 30 June 2023, for the following grants:

1. Special Disaster Grants
   1. NSW Severe Weather and Flooding – February 2022 onwards
   2. NSW Severe Weather and Flooding – From 27 June 2022 and onwards.
   3. NSW Flooding from August 2022 and September 2022
2. Rural Landholder Grant – from February 2022 onwards.

The main eligibility criteria includes – more than 50% of income is derived from primary production activities and in an eligible local government area (varies for each grant). For clients that don’t meet the 50% income test, they may still be eligible for the Rural Landholder Grant. Follow this link or contact R+M for further information. NSW Farms of the Future Program – $35,000 AgTech Grant available Primary producers in eligible local government areas (LGAs) have access to Farms of the Future program’s which aims to boost productivity, improve water efficiency and drought preparedness. The eligible LGAs include: Armidale, Ballina, Byron, Cabonne, Griffith, Leeton, Lismore, Moree Plains, Narrabri and Orange. Main eligibility for the Farms of the Future program include:

1. Primary producers operating in any agriculture industry
2. Turnover of at least $40,000 from primary production activities
3. Completion of the Farms of the Future training program “Monitoring your farm with AgTech” – either in person or online. Additional information on the training course can be obtained from the NSW Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI) website.

Eligible primary producers can use the funds from the Grant from the extensive NSW DPI AgTech Catalogue from numerous suppliers and service providers. The AgTech solutions available include (list not exhaustive):

1. Animal Management - electric fence monitoring, animal health monitoring, tracking animal movements and weights.
2. Asset management and Monitoring – asset tracking, fuel tank sensors, silo levels and temperatures, farm security cameras, vehicle tracking and connectivity solutions.
3. Farm connectivity solutions – including antennas and coverage boosters (3/4/5G), WiFi and on farm connectivity networks
4. Dashboards to view AgTech data – mobile phone apps, computer dashboards, customized dashboards, computer dashboards and integrated dashboards.
5. Plant and Pest management – monitoring plant microclimates, soil moisture probes, weather stations, pest and disease detection devices, plant growth sensors and plant health monitoring.
6. Water monitoring – including monitoring water flow, trough level sensors, water tank level sensors, water pressure sensor, pump monitors, remote irrigation systems and irrigation agtech.

Further information and the full catalogue of AgTech products and services is available at the NSW DPI website. Applications for the Farms of the Future program are now open and close 31 August 2023. The claim period closes 29 February 2024.