Search Grants & Funding

Provides grants for community groups, councils, joint organisations, NGOs, and not-for-profits in the local government areas that were disaster-declared during the 2019-20 bushfires to fund social recovery and preparedness projects.

The objective of Phase Two Stream 2 of the BCRRF is to support social recovery from bushfires for affected local communities to:

• reduce the adverse impact of the bushfires and make a sustained recovery,and
• be more resilient to future disasters and improve general wellbeing.

Grants will be assessed with a regional focus to maximise the recovery support to communities across local government boundaries.

The following Northern Inland Local Government Areas are eligible:

• Armidale Regional
• Glen Innes Severn
• Gwydir
• Inverell
• Narrabri
• Tamworth
• Tenterfield
• Uralla
• Walcha

On the 24th of November it was announced that the closing date for applications for this program will be extended to the 28th of January 2021, and the final project completion date has also been extended by 12 months to the 30th of June 2023.

The Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund will provide $250 million of further funding to support the social and economic recovery of communities affected by bushfire in 47 regional NSW Local Government Areas.

It will support projects that retain and create new jobs in regional areas, build resilience and increase preparedness for future bushfire seasons. 

Funding is available in the following three categories:

• Infrastructure projects, such as roads to support increased industrial development.
• Environmental projects, such as regeneration activities.
• Programs including social, business and environmental education initiatives.

Funding is available for projects such as:

• Local community and cultural infrastructure
• Tourism campaigns (including digital product development) and regional events
• Workforce adaptation and work ready training programs
• Community wellbeing and mental health programs
• Tourism infrastructure including walking and mountain bike trails
• Neighbourhood safer places

The following Local Councils in the Northern Inland are eligible:

• Armidale Regional
• Glen Innes Severn
• Gwydir Shire
• Inverell Shire
• Narrabri Shire
• Tamworth Regional
• Tenterfield Shire
• Uralla Shire
• Walcha Shire

The Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife invites applications to support revegetation activities for communities in the Local Government Areas (LGA) listed as impacted by the 2019-20 bushfires.

The grant program aims to provide funding for field projects that will have a direct restoration outcome for the 2019-2020 bushfire impacted LGAs:

• Enable communities to rebuild their local environments devastated by the 2019-2020 bushfires.
• Support the restoration of key habitats and ecosystems needed for healthy landscapes within the LGA’s impacted by the 2019-2020 bushfires.

It also aims to support the FNPW priorities of:

• Protecting our native flora and fauna: Ecosystem regeneration, threatened species protection, and wildlife corridors
• Emergency response: Bushfire Recovery nurseries, tree planting, and biodiversity restoration
• Educating and inspiring: Corporate days, volunteering programs, training

Priority will be given to projects and organisations that:

• are planting 1,000 or more trees sourced from an FNPW bushfire recovery nursery.
• show community or volunteer engagement within the project activities.
• undertake work over a 3ha minimum area, reinforcing areas of existing native vegetation in good condition, including areas adjacent to protected areas, within vegetation corridors and/or riparian zones, or which provide habitat stepping stones.
• support collaboration with Traditional Owners and Indigenous organisations and the engagement of Aboriginal contractors.

Grants are available to farmers and community groups in the Northern Tablelands region to control weeds and pests, and improve or rebuild facilities or equipment for safe handling and management of livestock.

The Northern Tablelands LLS region is defined as within the Tenterfeld, Glen Innes Severn, Guyra, Inverell, Armidale Regional, Uralla and Walcha local government areas.

Applications will be assessed based on eligibility, value for money and available funds.

This program provides trees from the FNPW Bushfire Recovery Nurseries for restoration activities in and around bushfire impacted areas

Trees provided as in-kind are to be sourced through one of the FNPW Bushfire Recovery Nurseries. A minimum of 1,000 trees (>3m) for all orders. Approximately 50,000 trees are available in nurseries as of March 31 for planting in 2021.

Decision and contact to all applicants will be made via email within 14 days of application.

Stream B of the Bushfire Green Waste Grants provides funding for clean-up, processing and beneficial reuse of green waste generated by the 2019/20 bushfires that is yet to be completed.

The Bushfire-Generated Green Waste Grants program builds on the NSW Government commitment to deliver bushfire recovery assistance to help people and businesses impacted by bushfires. The program's objectives are to

• assess and document outstanding green waste generated by the 2019–20 bushfires
• manage the clean-up of outstanding green waste generated by the 2019–20 bushfires
• provide opportunities to beneficially reuse processed green waste products in bushfire-affected regions
• provide regional employment opportunities in bushfire-affected communities

The Bushfire Community Recovery Grants aim to support community groups by providing financial assistance directly to those who have been impacted by the bushfires.  The Society provides one-off grants to support grassroots community activities and projects for implementation during the period September 2021 to December 2022.

The Grants aim to:

• Support the local community by providing funding to assist their efforts to build back and create better future resilience.
• Create positive impact in the community by supporting worthwhile causes and projects that promote community cohesion and wellbeing.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Additional support now available for NAB business and agribusiness customers directly impacted by bushfires includes:

• $2,000 grants to help restart or reopen and cover the cost of damaged property, equipment, fencing – and for loss of stock or livestock. NAB business and agribusiness customer wishing to access the grants should call NAB’s dedicated team on 1300 023 429 (8am-5pm, Mon-Fri; 9am-1pm, Saturday – AEST/AEDT)
• Up to a three-year deferral of interest and repayments for existing NAB loans where individual circumstances warrant
• A commitment not to foreclose upon, or force the sale of existing loans for up to three years
• $1 billion in concessional loans to customers seeking support to restructure existing facilities to assist in repairs, restocking and re-opening for business
• Support and counselling by making NAB’s Employee Assistance Program available to customers.

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.

Private landholders who share a boundary with public land and were impacted by the Northern and Southern fires of late 2019 and early 2020 are eligible to receive up to $5,000 per kilometre to contribute to the replacement of damaged boundary fences adjoining public lands.

Note that for the purposes of this grant, public lands includes:

• National parks
• Forestry Corporation land
• Travelling stock reserves
• Crown reserves, tenured roads and leases
• Roads managed by Roads and Maritime Services or Local Government.

Grants can be issued retrospectively to cover costs already incurred by landholders replacing fire damaged fencing where a boundary is shared with public lands.

If your home has been destroyed in a bushfire since July 2019, you can apply for an emergency grant.

Emergency grants are open across Australia to people whose primary place of residence has been destroyed or rendered permanently uninhabitable as the result of bushfires from 1 July 2019.

Your primary place of residence is the place you reside in on a permanent basis, whether as an owner-occupier or a tenant. ‘Destroyed or rendered permanently uninhabitable’ means the place has been or must be demolished.  

A grant of $10,000 is available per household.