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Small businesses who have been directly affected by a declared natural disaster including floods, fires or storm damage, may be eligible for low interest loans of up to $130,000.

This low interest rate loan can help a small business:

• return to its normal level of trading or until the next major income is received within 12 months from the date of disaster
• replace and repair damage caused to your small business and associated improvements not covered by insurance.

A repayment term of up to ten years is available dependent upon the amount borrowed and the applicant’s ability to repay.

The repayment term is preceded by a two-year interest and repayment free period.

A list of declared disasters and the associated closing dates for applications is available on the Rural Assistance Authority website.

Small businesses who have been directly affected by a declared natural disaster including floods, fires or storm damage, may be eligible for low interest loans of up to $130,000.

This low interest rate loan can help a small business:

• return to its normal level of trading or until the next major income is received within 12 months from the date of disaster
• replace and repair damage caused to your small business and associated improvements not covered by insurance.

A repayment term of up to ten years is available dependent upon the amount borrowed and the applicant’s ability to repay.

The repayment term is preceded by a two-year interest and repayment free period.

A list of declared disasters and the relevant application close dates are available of the Rural Assistance Authority's website.

Natural disaster relief loans assist voluntary non-profit organisations directly affected by a declared natural disaster including flood, fire or storm damage.

Low interest rate loans are available:

• for the restoration of essential facilities that have been damaged or destroyed by a natural disaster
• and may also be directed towards temporary storage or leasing of alternate premises

A repayment term of up to five years is available dependent upon the amount borrowed and the applicant’s ability to repay.

A list of declared disasters and the associated closing dates for applications is available on the Rural Assistance Authority website.

The Drought Infrastructure Fund is a long term, low interest loan product supporting NSW farmers to invest in permanent on-farm infrastructure that will:

• manage adverse seasonal conditions - improve water efficiencies with irrigation systems, cap and piping of bores, new dams, install water tanks and desilting of ground tanks
• ensure long term sustainability - increase the viability of a farm business and improve pasture and soil health, plant trees for shade and wildlife corridors, eradicate weeds, flood proof property and fence river banks.
• improve farm productivity - reduce risks and improve efficiencies by building fodder and grain storage facilities, sheds, fencing, roadworks and solar power conversions.

Eligible producers can borrow up to $1 million per project, with a total of $1 million outstanding at any one time to build on-farm infrastructure, including stock containment areas. A 2.5% fixed interest rate is applied to Drought Infrastructure Fund loans which can be repaid over a period of 20 years.

Low interest loans of up to $250,000 are available to primary producers in NSW to fund a broad range of products, activities and services aimed at improving drought preparedness and climate variability resilience.

The DRRF loan can be used to fund a broad range of purchases, activities and services as listed below:

Animal Welfare:

• purchasing and transporting fodder up to a maximum value of $100,000
• purchasing and transporting stock and domestic water
• purchasing livestock feed storage, mixing and feeding equipment
• transporting stock to sale or agistment
• veterinary/professional nutrition or animal welfare advice
• genetic banking where destocking of stock is demonstrated
• fencing for rotational grazing, exclusion and cluster fencing, construction of containment feeding pens, stock shade structures
• planting of trees.

Farm Preparedness:

• on-farm water infrastructure (tanks, stock water systems, pumps, new dam construction, drilling bores, irrigation efficiency upgrades, water conservation infrastructure)
• on-farm grain and fodder storage infrastructure (silos, grain bunkers, hay sheds, silage pits)
• livestock feeding equipment
• infrastructure repairs/maintenance (dams, channels, fencing)
• upgrades and additions to planting machinery (moisture seeking points and minimum til conversions).

Income diversification:

• income diversification funding to promote and finance diversified income streams within the farm gate
• funding to promote and finance alternative primary production income streams within the farm gate.

Environmental:

• pest and weed control
• on-farm solar power conversion to mitigate the impacts of drought
• soil conservation and earthworks (including erosion control, contour banks, overbanks (keyline), water ponding and the management of vegetation and maintaining groundcover)
• soil biology, or compost making equipment.

Training and Business Development:

• training and professional development activities that improve business resilience to drought
• professional consulting services directly related to drought preparedness, for example, animal nutrition consultation and planning.

he NSW Government is offering $50,000 interest-free loans to primary producers to implement systems and management practices that enhance the sustainability of their farm business. The loan term is seven years and there are no repayments required in the first two years.

This loan will fund:

• The transport of stock, fodder and water
• Genetic banking of breeding herds
• Installation of on-farm fodder and water infrastructure
• Activities that promote profitability and resilience as a result of the on-farm investment

This program provides funding assistance to organisations that donate and transport donated fodder to a central location within NSW for the benefit of three or more primary producers with livestock, in the event of a natural disaster. This contributes to an outcome of quicker recovery from natural disaster.

The scheme will pay for the costs of donating and transporting donated fodder to affected properties or storage facilities in a central location up to a maximum of distance of 1,500 kilometres.

Eligibility:

• The subsidy on transport of donated fodder is available to organisations* that donate and transport donated fodder for the benefit of three or more primary producers, whose property has been affected by a natural disaster.
• Pre-approval for the transport of the donated fodder must be obtained from the NSW Rural Assistance Authority (RAA) by the organisation including agreement on estimates for the amount of fodder to be transported, the number of trips to be completed and the total distance to be travelled.
• The donated fodder must be delivered to a central location within the declared natural disaster area.
• The central location receiving donated fodder must be in an area of NSW that has been declared a Natural Disaster.
• Payment of any assistance can only occur upon production of tax invoices for expenses incurred.
• Payment of any assistance is contingent on recipients acknowledging this financial support in annual reports, media releases, digital and printed materials, web pages and online documents, advertising, plaques and signs.
• Claims must be made within three months of the RAA's approval to the transport of the donated fodder.
• As part of the application process, the applicant must agree to relevant details from the proposed application being provided to the regional Rural Financial Counsellor, Rural Resilience Officers or other co-ordinating entity so as to promote coordination of effort

Exclusions:

• Small volumes of fodder (i.e. under one tonne per load).
• Poor quality fodder, including fodder found to include weeds or other invasive species. The RAA must refuse to approve movements from regions with known or suspected biosecurity concerns. Under the Biosecurity Act 2015, the RAA cannot approve movements that present a known biosecurity risk
• In circumstances where the RAA receives notification of poor quality fodder, or fodder with weeds or other invasive species, the RAA is required to report this to NSW Biosecurity. Application and claims from organisations involved will be put on hold until a review of the operator’s movements can be completed.
• Transport of donated fodder from individual donors to individual farmers.
• Transport of donated fodder to commercial feedlots and/or feed processors.

A natural disaster assistance transport subsidy is available to eligible farmers who are affected by a declared natural disaster event. This subsidy pays for the cost of transporting:

• fodder and/or water to an affected property
• stock to sale or slaughter
• stock to/from agistment.

A list of declared disasters and the associated closing dates for applications is available on the Rural Assistance Authority website.

Natural disaster financial assistance is available to help sporting and recreation clubs directly affected by a declared natural disaster including flood, fire or storm damage.

This low interest rate loan can help meet the costs of restoring essential club facilities, equipment or other assets that have been damaged or destroyed by a natural disaster.

A repayment term of up to five years is available dependent upon the amount borrowed and the club’s ability to repay.

A list of declared disasters and the associated closing dates for applications is available on the Rural Assistance Authority website.

A subsidy is available for the cost of transporting donated fodder organised by community groups or other organisations within NSW to a central location for distribution to properties affected by drought and other emergencies. This subsidy will pay for 100% of the costs of transporting donated fodder from within NSW up to a maximum of $5 per kilometre (plus GST) to a maximum eligible distance of 1,500 kilometres.

The Farm Innovation Fund provides low interest loans to helps farmers to:

• Improve farm productivity by reducing risks and improve efficiencies by building fodder and grain storage facilities, sheds, fencing, roadworks and solar power conversions.
• Manage adverse seasonal conditions by improving water efficiencies with irrigation systems, cap and piping of bores, new dams, install water tanks and desilting of ground tanks.
• Ensure long term sustainability by increasing the viability of a farm business and improve pasture and soil health, plant trees for shade and wildlife corridors, eradicate weeds, flood proof property and fence riverbanks.