Storm and disaster support and netting grant updates
Industry AdvocacyStorm and flood events in recent months have caused significant damage across various regions of the eastern and southern states of Australia. This has impacted a number of growing regions, and funding support options available for recovery and emergency response vary.
SA Storm Recovery Grants
Funding is now available for primary producers in South Australia who were impacted by the spring storms.
The Storm Recovery Grants of up to $10,000 are available, per primary production business, to cover emergency measures and recovery costs, such as clean-up and rebuilding/replacing damaged or destroyed on-farm infrastructure.
You can apply for multiple grants to complete your recovery activities, as long as the total grant applications together do not exceed $10,000.
In order to be eligible, you must:
- Complete or have completed the 2021 SA Statewide Storms online survey
- Meet the criteria set out in the grant guidelines
Visit the Department of Primary Industries and Regions website for more information.
Grants close 28 February, 2022.
Queensland disaster support
Where no disaster has been declared in the region but an individual property or business has been damaged by a storm or natural disaster, producers can apply for Individual Disaster Stricken Property Declarations.
As outlined announced in October by Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries and Minister for Rural Communities, Mark Furner, this declaration gives producers access to freight subsidies of up to $5,000, as well as Disaster Assistance loans of up to $250,000 at a concessional interest rate to help fix damaged infrastructure such as fences, sheds and hail netting.
Learn more at the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries website.
New South Wales funding options
The NSW Government has provided a hub for primary producers to find financial relief and support that is suited to their business and situation.
Use the online search portal to find funding options.
Netting grants state-by-state
Applications for the netting grant scheme in Victoria have now closed, and applications are being assessed.
The netting grants in Western Australia are still open, but close to being fully allocated.
Applications for netting grants in South Australia are still open for applications here. Applications for netting grants in Queensland are also still open at this time.
Even once funding has been allocated for this round, netting grants may reopen for further rounds of funding in future, but this is yet to be confirmed and will happen on a state-by-state basis.
APAL Head of Government Relations & Advocacy, Jeremy Griffith, said the success of the netting scheme indicates that it should be renewed and expanded by government.
“We know how important netting is for crop protection and to protect Australia’s food supply,” Jeremy said. “This first round has been very successful, and we believe that the government should reinvest in it with an eye to including Tasmania, as it was not part of the first round and has suffered recent storm damage also.”
