In This Issue:

• Welcome from the Chair
• Regions 2030: Unlocking Opportunity in Regional Australia
• Moree & Mungindi Business Workshops
• Funding Now Available for Region’s Young People
• Inland Rail Powering Ahead in NSW
• Tamworth Sustainability Course in June
• Scholarships Available to Help Apprentices in the Region
• Introducing IBA’s Start-up Finance Package and Procurement Loan
• Grants and Funding Opportunities
• What's On in the Northern Inland

Welcome from the Chair

Dear Northern Inlanders,

Welcome to another edition of our monthly newsletter. This month we were very pleased to see a further 3-year commitment in the Federal Budget for RDA Committees across the country. It’s fair to say the budget delivered in our region thanks to the advancement of the Inland Rail project, a vital link for our agricultural produce to get to market quicker and at a lower cost.

An extra $200m for the Building Better Regions Fund has also been welcomed. We look forward to hearing about our region’s successful projects from round 1 shortly and the announcement of round 2 later this year. Get in touch if you would like any assistance with grant applications or to find out about your project’s eligibility.

Regards,

Russell Stewart
Chair

Regions 2030: Unlocking Opportunity in Regional Australia

Minister for Regional Development Fiona Nash recently launched the Coalition Government's vision statement for rural, regional and remote Australia: Regions 2030: Unlocking Opportunity in Broken Hill. The Regions 2030 statement outlines the government's vision for regional Australia and the key initiatives helping to achieve that vision.

“Regional development is about having a vision for what we want regional communities to look like in 20 years. It's about making sure we create both careers and jobs in our communities so our children and grandchildren can lead fulfilling lives. It's about developing ways our young people can receive an excellent education without leaving the community they grew up in.

“It's about building the kinds of communities our children and grandchildren either want to stay in or come back to.

“Regional development is about much more than just grants programs.

“It's also about lifting the profile of regional Australia and creating awareness of the fact every Australian owes their lifestyle to regional Australia.

“Regional Australia provides the water city people drink, the milk on their breakfast, the meat and vegetables for dinner, the gas to cook dinner and heat water, and the electricity which powers their households.

“Investing in our regions is essential for Australia—strong regions mean a strong nation.

“A ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to developing regional policy does not work. Regions 2030 focuses on working with communities to meet their economic and social needs, which will help to improve life for rural, regional and remote Australians.”

This commitment is being delivered through investment and activity across five focus areas across Government:

• Jobs and economic development;
• Infrastructure;
• Health;
• Education; and
• Communications.

“Regions 2030 and the Regional Australia Ministerial Taskforce, chaired by the Prime Minister, will continue to consider policies which take advantage of the opportunities available and tackle the challenges facing regional Australia,” Minister Nash said.

Minister Nash said the announcement follows the release of the 2017–18 Federal Budget reinforcing the Coalition Government's commitment to unlock the potential of Australia's regions, including measures such as:

• An additional $8.4 billion in new euity funding to construct Inland Rail.
• An extra $200 million for the Building Better Regions Fund, bringing the total amount in the fund to almost $500 million.
• $272 million to provide grants of $10 million or more for major projects to unlock the potential of regions, helping take advantage of new opportunities and potentially spur new industries.
• Lower taxes for small business.
• The structured decentralisation of Australian Government jobs from Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra.
• Increased access for rural and remote Australians to psychological services via telehealth.
• Expanding community-owned university training hubs, which will allow students to study any university course in Australia from the region they grew up in.
• Expanding community-owned university training hubs, which will allow students to study any university course in Australia from the region they grew up in.
• The Review of Medical Training in Australia, which will assess the number and distribution of medical places and medical schools in Australia as we aim to get more medical professionals to the regions.
• The Independent Review into Regional, Remote and Rural Education.
• Our process to assess which Australian Government departments, agencies and their parts could be suitable for decentralisation, to create local jobs and career paths and stimulate of economic growth in Australia's regions.

To view a copy of Regions 2030: Unlocking Opportunity, visit regional.gov.au/regions2030

Moree and Mungindi Business Workshops

Northern Inland in conjunction with Moree Plains Shire Council and the Moree Chamber of Commerce & Industry are proud to be running a series of Small Business Workshops throughout May and June.

Two popular workshops earlier in the month focussed on Marketing, Social Media, Visual Merchandising and reducing business freight and energy costs. Next week will see us running our final two workshops in Moree and Mungindi, focussing on Human Resources, recruiting and retaining staff, as well as skilled migration options. Check out the image for further details.

Moree Plains businesses are also encouraged to complete a short business survey at the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MoreeBusinessSurvey

Funding Now Available for Region's Young People

Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall has urged all youth-focused organisations in the region to apply for a share of the $1.1 million NSW Youth Opportunities fund.

One-off grants of up to $50,000 are now available for projects and organisations that help young people take up leadership positions, have greater involvement in their local community and overcome hurdles to achieve success.

Mr Marshall said the funding categories were broad and encouraged creative and novel solutions to boost youth engagement.

“If your organisation has been considering a new program to get young people involved in helping out your local community, then apply right away,” Mr Marshall said.

“A $50,000 injection of funding would be a great way to kickstart the program, and give young people the best opportunity possible.

“Likewise, the funding can be used to expand or continue existing programs that are have a positive impact in the region.”

Since 2012, Youth Opportunities has provided almost $8 million in funding to more than 148 projects across NSW.

Funded projects from previous rounds have focused on giving young people the opportunity to develop a diverse range of skills, including leadership, communication, and teamwork, as well as event management and planning.

The Northern Tablelands has seen collaboration between youth group Backtrack and the Rural Fire Service, training at-risk young people into highly-skilled airbase operators who assist the aerial bombing campaign during fire season.

Other funding rounds have supported aboriginal cultural heritage projects at Bundarra Central School and lifeskills training at Guyra’s Youth Hub.

The online application process is now open and closes on Monday, 26 June 2017. Successful applications will be announced later this year.

To apply for a Youth Opportunities grant or for more information, visit www.youth.nsw.gov.au/youth-opportunities

• The 2017-18 Budget includes $8.4 billion to deliver the Inland Rail project
• An estimated 16,000 jobs will be created at peak construction, with the project set to return $480 million to the Central and Northern Inland NSW economies.

Residents and business owners in the Northern Inland are set to reap the rewards of the Australian Government’s $8.4 billion investment toward the Inland Rail project in the 2017-18 Budget.

Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Darren Chester said the once-in-a-generation Melbourne to Brisbane Inland Rail project would connect regional communities with domestic and global markets, safeguarding the nation’s prosperity.

“The Melbourne to Brisbane Inland Rail is the infrastructure project we need to secure Australia’s freight future, delivering the transport network required to serve the freight market for the next century,” Mr Chester said.

“Our freight task will double by 2050 and we need to take action now to meet demand. Inland Rail will reduce congestion on our roads; each interstate train on Inland Rail can carry freight that would require the equivalent of 110 B-double trucks.

“This is a major investment in Australia’s economic future. It will create 16,000 jobs at peak of construction, boost Australia’s GDP by $16 billion, and provide an important link to domestic and global markets.”
Federal Member for Parkes Mark Coulton said the Inland Rail project would be transformational for the region, after highlighting the importance of this project in his first speech to Federal Parliament in 2008.

“This region supports a range of industries such as mining, the production of beef and pork, grain farming, and the production of fruit and vegetables. Having access to a freight link that directly connects to major ports will give local farmers and producers the best opportunity they can to compete in Asia and beyond,” Mr Coulton said.

“The Central and North West region of New South Wales will see $480 million in net economic benefits from the delivery of this project, and some of those 16,000 jobs will go to locals.

“Inland Rail will create the incentive for industry to develop intermodal hubs, potentially at regional centres such as Moree, Narromine, and Narrabri.

“I want to see this region reach its economic potential and it’s great to see the Australian Government commit an additional $8.4 billion funding toward this project.

For more information on the Inland Rail project visit https://infrastructure.gov.au/rail/inland/

Tamworth Sustainability Course in June

Homeowners in the Northern Inland should not have to ask for their renovation or new build to be healthy, green, eco-friendly, sustainable, energy efficient and water wise – it should just be all of those things naturally.
For this to happen, we need an educated and inspired workforce and products to match.

BDA Australia in collaboration with NSW Office of Environment and Heritage and Australian Living are rolling out SustainAbility Design Specialist (SDS) Masterclasses for building designers, architects and interested builders across New South Wales.

An SDS Masterclass has been scheduled in for Tamworth starting 16 June. Click here for all the details and to book online.

Scholarships Available to Help Apprenticesin the Region

The Bert Evans Apprentice Scholarships were launched in 2014 to assist apprentices who need additional financial support.

The Bert Evans Apprentice Scholarships assist apprentices in NSW who have demonstrated:

• hardship in their personal circumstances.
• aptitude for vocational education and training to lead to successful completion of their trade training.
• a positive attitude and application in the workplace and in off the job training.

There will be a maximum of 50 Scholarships awarded annually including 10 NSW Country Apprentice Scholarships. Scholarships are open to school based apprentices.

The scholarships are open for metropolitan and country apprentices. For further information, see: https://www.training.nsw.gov.au/individuals/apprenticeships_traineeships/financial_help/bert_evans_scholarships.html

Introducing IBA's Start-up Finance Package and Procurement Loan

Economic independence for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is at the heart of Indigenous Business Australia’s vision and programs. IBA has introduced two new Finance products to assist their customers at important stages of their business lifecycle.

Start-up Finance Package
The Start-Up Finance Package will help a new business get off the ground with up to 30% of a new business loan awarded as a grant. The loan amount can be up to $100,000 with a maximum loan term of seven years. Loan repayments will be structured to suit the purpose and cash flow of the business. The grant component can only be used to cover capital expenditure items. This package is targeted specifically at SME start-ups trading for less than one year and with less than $400,000 in annual turnover.

Procurement Loan
The Procurement Loan is available for customers who have been awarded a contract through the Indigenous Procurement Policy (IPP) or another government program (including sub-contracting to a tier one entity) to help meet up front contract costs. The product has a maximum two year loan term for loans up to $100,000 and repayments aligned with the contract opportunity. It enables customers to fulfil contract obligations before receiving payment from government.

These two products are available until 30 June 2017. For further information, please call 02 6110 2766 or visit www.iba.gov.au

Grants and Funding Opportunities

Small Business Grant
The Small Business Grant is a key priority of the New South Wales Government.
The grant is designed to encourage the nearly 650,000 small businesses in New South Wales that do not pay payroll tax to hire new employees and expand their business.

For further information: www.osr.nsw.gov.au/grants/sbg

Eco Schools Grants Program (closing 19th June)
Educators and school communities are once again encouraged to apply for an Eco Schools Grant to ignite and nurture their students’ passion to learn about the environment.
Eighty grants of $3,500 each are now available under the NSW Environmental Trust Eco Schools Grants program, which has supported a variety of environmental projects in schools from waste management to worm farms for nearly 20 years.

For more information visit: www.environment.nsw.gov.au/grants/schools.htm

NSW Clubs Grants (Ongoing)
Last year, registered clubs allocated more than $100 million to deserving causes through the ClubGRANTS program. ClubGRANTS funding is available to community groups, charities and sporting teams across NSW. Approximately 500 clubs voluntarily allocate funds to the ClubGRANTS scheme.

Funding is available under three separate categories:

• Category 1: Supports community welfare and social services; community development; employment assistance activities; community health services; and projects aimed at improving the living standards of low income and disadvantaged people.
• Category 2: Provides funding for general community development and support activities, such as junior sport.
• Category 3: Is a state-wide fund that supports large-scale community infrastructure projects. Grants are available for sport, emergency and disaster relief, and arts and culture infrastructure.

The program is made possible through the support of NSW clubs, local councils and the NSW Government.

Click here to visit the Find Your Local Grant Round page.
Click here to visit the For Applicants page.

Energy Efficient Appliance Replacement Offer (Closes June 30th)
The NSW Office of Environment & Heritage are offering discounts on new energy efficient fridges and TVs so you can replace your old inefficient models. New appliances can cut your energy bills, improve your household and family living costs and help protect our environment.

They are offering:

• 40% off the cost of a fridge (save up to $200 a year on your energy bill)
• 50% off the cost of a TV (save up to $125 a year on your energy bill)

For further information: www.environment.nsw.gov.au/households/appliance-replacement-offer.htm

What's On in the Northern Inland

Gunnedah Eisteddfod
Thursday 1st to Thursday 8th of June
Gunnedah

Wee Waa Dancesport Fun Gala Weekend
Saturday 3rd to Sunday 4th of June
Wee Waa

What, Why and Wow – Arts Project Planning Workshop
Tuesday 6th of June – Bingara
Wednesday 7th of June - Barraba

Manilla Vintage Machinery Rally
Friday 9th and Saturday 10th of June
Manilla

Tenterfield Lions Cracker Night
Saturday 10th of June

Tenterfield

Rowena Cracker Night
Sunday 11th of June
Rowena

Connect – 30 Year Celebration
Thursday 15th of June
Tamworth

Frost Over Barraba
Thursday 29th of June to Sunday 2nd of July
Barraba