Improved terms for Drought Loans (Regional Investment Corporation) :

• The new terms enable loans of up to $2 million over ten years
• After ten years there is an option to refinance any remaining balance.
• Loans can be used to prepare for, manage and recover from drought. The loans can refinance existing debt, fund drought-related activities, enhance productivity or pay for operating expenses or capital.
• Drought Loans are offered by the Regional Investment Corporation along with a range of other products including Farm Investment Loans and AgRebuild Loans.

For more information visit https://www.ric.gov.au/

Up to $3,000 is available in immediate financial assistance to eligible farming households who are facing hardship due to drought. The funding is available through The Salvation Army and St Vincent de Paul Society, in all eligible Drought Communities Programme Extension Local Government Areas. Only one DCSI (Round 2) payment is allowed per household from one of the delivery organisations. To register online visit https://tinyurl.com/sr33mr8 or Phone 1300 551 030.

The Increasing Resilience to Climate Change Community Grants program provides funding for local communities to address climate change impacts in their region. It provides grants between $10,000 to $30,000 to community organisations, with a total of $600,000 available for the program. Closing date 31 January 2020.

This is the recovery information you need to know if you or someone you know has been impacted by the November fires across Northern New South Wales:

Had water taken for fire fighting and it affects your livestock? Local Land Services and NSW DPI will evaluate requests from landholders for replacement of water in dams/storages where water has been removed by fire-fighting authorities for fire-fighting purposes or where infrastructure has been damaged during the emergency creating an animal welfare issue. Evaluation of eligibility of water replacement will include: significance of impact on animal welfare and significance of impact on other agricultural activities. Call the Agriculture and Animal Services Hotline on 1800 814 647.

Landholders who need assistance with animal welfare issues, emergency fodder, water, livestock and domestic animal assessment as a result of bush fires should register their request on the Agriculture and Animal Services Hotline on 1800 814 647. The hotline will be open between 8:00am and 8:00pm weekdays and between 8am and 5pm weekends. Download the information flier by DPI and LLS here.

Bushfire affected Landholders who require emergency water for animal welfare over the Christmas period are advised to call 1800 814 647 by Friday 13 December as we aim to coordinate delivery by 20 December. Accessing water contractors over the Christmas period will be difficult and may delay delivery. This includes cases where water has been removed by fire-fighting authorities from dams/storages where this has resulted in an immediate animal welfare risk.   

Drought Angels is a not for profit charity registered to provide relief to primary producers, Australia wide, experiencing financial hardship due to natural disasters such as drought, fire or flood. Their level of support consists of providing stock feed, financial support via Pre-paid visas and local produce vouchers from within the communities, moral support through personal face to face or phone contact and referrals to other support networks as needed.For more information and to apply for assistance, click here

Since 2006 Need For Feed have been supporting communities and farmers. Over that time, Need For Feed has been a major supplier of emergency fodder and transport. They are supplying the stock and animal feed needs of affected larger properties by semi loads and supplying smaller properties by ute convoys. The team from Need For Feed have recommended that if receiving fodder for drought relief interests you, please register at their website. http://www.needforfeed.org/apply-for-assistance.html This will help identify your property and our region as an area of need on their database for consideration for future hay runs.

The Australian Government is inviting applications for projects to deliver services under the National Landcare Program – Smart Farms Small Grants Round 3 - which closes on 20 December 2019. Smart Farms Small Grants is an open, competitive, grant opportunity to support projects to increase farming, forestry and fishing communities’ awareness, knowledge, skills and capacity to adopt best practice sustainable agriculture.

The purpose of Smart Farms Small Grants is to support land manager practice change that will deliver more sustainable, productive and profitable food, fibre and forestry business while protecting Australia’s biodiversity; protecting and improving the condition of natural resources; and assisting Australia meet its international obligations. More information here.

Rural Aid provides assistance to farmers in times of drought, flood and fire. They know farmers are a proud bunch, many of whom won’t ask for help! We know that many suffer in silence, however hey want to change that through our Assistance Program.

If you’re a farming family in need of help, please register at: https://www.buyabale.com.au/can-we-help-you/  Farmers must be registered with to receive this assistance. Download a flier here.

Hunter New England and Central Coast Primary Health Network (HNECC PHN) will again offer grants of up to $50,000 for community-led activities that promote mental and emotional wellbeing during the big dry.

Assistance to meet household expenses for drought affected families, up to a maximum of $3,000 per family/household. Expenses can include grocery bills, vehicle maintenance, school, electricity, rates, telephone, medical treatments etc. For more information and or to apply visit www.cwaofnsw.org.au/droughtaid.html or phone 02 8337 0200.

Do you have a project that needs funding around flora and fauna conservation and/or threatened mammal conservation? The Wettenhall Environment Trust Small Environmental Grant Scheme grant round for funding in November opened on 1st October and the round for funding in February opens on 2nd December 2019. More information here

The Tackling Tough Times Together grant program helps communities access the resources they need to support one another through the ongoing effects of the drought. Grants are available for a broad range of grassroots, community-led initiatives that directly and clearly benefit local communities. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis and assessed quarterly.

Recovery grants are now available to help eligible primary producers who were affected by severe storms in Walcha and surrounding areas from 20 December 2018.

The NSW RAA has published new Guidelines for the Emergency Drought Transport Subsidy for 2019-2020. Download the new guidelines here. One major change is the inclusion of invoices dated from 1st January 2018 into the eligibility for the current financial year $40k cap for those farmers who have not made a previous claim prior to 30th June 2019. Prior to these new Guidelines these farmers would have missed out on claiming for that period. Note: Those farmers who have previously applied prior to 30th June 2019 will still need to get all their invoices for claims lodged by 30th September to have them included against the separate $40k cap available for the period ending 30th June 2019.

For the information of members and friends who may need more information about drought assistance, we provide the following information, which is also available at www.raa.nsw.gov.au.

Closes: 30th of June 2021 or when the $12 Million funding allocation is exhausted. Value: Up to $25,000 per farm enterprise. Run By: NSW Government Department of Primary Industries, Rural Assistance Authority. Eligible Primary Producers can claim a rebate of 25% of the cost of purchase, delivery and if applicable, the labour cost to engage a person to install water infrastructure for animal welfare needs.The On-Farm Emergency Water Infrastructure Rebate scheme can be applied to costs incurred from 1st July 2018 for new purchases, and installation of pipes, water storages and water pumps, de-silting dams, and associated power supplies such as generators. More information here

Do you have a project or grant idea? Know a neighbour or two who might like to get involved too? Why not gather them around the barbecue, and ask one of our Local Landcare Coordinators to assist with some action planning? We can help you develop project ideas and source funding and resources. Call us on 02 6772 9123 or email mail@snelandcare.org.au.