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Transport for NSW (TfNSW) works in partnership with local councils to co-fund Safety Officer (RSO) positions and contribute funding to LGRSP projects targeting road safety issues at a local level.
The objectives of the LGRSP are:

• Raise the profile of road safety within local government areas (LGAs)
• Create a road safety culture within the local community
• Consult with internal council stakeholders, in particular through the Local Traffic Committee and relevant local businesses, other government agencies and community organisations, which is integral to the delivery of effective road safety initiatives.
• Deliver regional, state and national road safety initiatives within the local context
• Develop, implement and evaluate evidence-based projects aimed at influencing behaviour to improve road safety in local communities
• Promote, encourage and support the adoption the ‘Safe System’ approach to road safety and integrate this within the strategic planning framework for local councils i.e work with engineers to promote safe system initiatives and treatments
• Facilitate the involvement of local businesses, other government agencies and community groups/clubs in community road safety

Co-funding is available for approved councils to:

• Employ an RSO (see Section 6) whose tasks will include applying for road safety project funding (up to the amount approved by TfNSW)
• Support road safety projects (see Section 5) to address identified road safety issues in the LGA (up to the amount approved by TfNSW).

The Local Government Road Safety Program provides:

• Professional support for local councils to address local road safety issues
• Funding to support a dedicated behavioural road safety role to your LGA
• Project funding for behavioural and safer system road safety projects

Councils choosing not to employ an RSO can apply for road safety project funding of up to 50 per cent of the cost of the project. This could include a HR component for the cost of personnel to plan and deliver the project. 

The Australian Government and the governments of NSW, South Australia, Queensland and ACT have agreed to extend the 30 June 2024 delivery deadline to return the 450 GL of water to the environment under the Murray Darling Basin Plan to 31 December 2027.

The Australian Government’s Off-farm Efficiency Program is a $1.54 billion initiative to upgrade water infrastructure to reduce water losses and increase water available for the environment. The program has three streams including $1.33 billion for state-led projects (open) and $150 million for grants provided direct to applicants (now closed). A further $60 million is available for on-farm projects, however NSW Government will not progress applications under this stream.

Projects funded under the program will provide long-term benefits through improved water infrastructure and reduced water losses. Water users and the community will also benefit from increased water reliability and the creation of job opportunities.

The program aims to:

• improve and modernise water delivery systems and reduce water losses to increase the volume of available water for the environment, irrigation, urban and industrial networks, irrigators and communities
• drive employment and create infrastructure opportunities for local communities through funding arrangements for suitable projects
• deliver on the NSW Government’s commitment to the Murray Darling Basin Plan to contribute to the return of 450 GL to the environment by June 2024.

The program is open to individuals and entities in the irrigation, urban and manufacturing sectors across the Murray Darling Basin for projects that will achieve water efficiencies and return water to the environment.

The following types of projects are eligible to apply for funding under the program:

• Irrigation networks: installing new, or upgrading existing, irrigation infrastructure and technology in water delivery networks to supply water to irrigators, including permanently decommissioning inefficient or underused sections of a water delivery network
• Industrial or mining: constructing, replacing, upgrading, installing, improving, or refurbishing industrial water uses, including reducing leakage, for the purpose of using water for producing goods and services
• Urban: constructing, replacing, upgrading, installing, improving, or refurbishing urban water supply arrangements, including reducing leakage for the purpose of urban water supply
• Stock and domestic: improving stock and domestic water supply on one or more properties for the purpose of watering stock and supplying water for human use.

Feasibility funding is available to help identify early project opportunities to reduce water losses and increase water available for the environment in the Murray-Darling Basin. This can include investigations into improving infrastructure, confirming water losses and savings, informing the potential costs of construction, and supporting formal discussions with stakeholders.

Some on-property projects are eligible such as the installation or replacement of pipes, tanks and troughs for stock and domestic systems These are considered ‘off-farm’ activities as stock and domestic water entitlements are not tradeable and do not impact the water market. Individuals or organisations proposing on-property stock and domestic projects to improve water delivery and reduce water losses are encouraged to contact winsw.programs@dpie.nsw.gov.au for more information.

The Regional Precincts and Partnerships Program seeks to deliver transformative investment in regional, rural and remote Australia based on the principles of unifying regional places, growing their economies and serving their communities.

The program will focus on a partnership approach, bringing together governments and communities to deliver regional precincts that are tailored to local needs and have a shared vision in how that precinct connects to the region.

This grant opportunity is part of the regional Precincts and Partnerships Program.

The Precinct Delivery grant opportunity provides funding to deliver one or more elements of a precinct. This could include enabling public infrastructure (roads, pathways, underground infrastructure), open spaces between elements, or a particular building/s that is the catalyst for, or complements, other investment within a precinct.

For Stream Two, the project is considered to be one or more elements of a precinct. This grant opportunity will provide funding for the delivery of projects, rather than entire precincts. This contrasts with Stream One, where the project is considered to be the planning and development of the whole precinct.

Partnerships are essential to the program, which has a focus on bringing together all interested parties to collaboratively plan or deliver precinct proposals. These partnerships are intended to be conglomerates of relevant entities as well as other local stakeholders, including but not limited to:

• State and Territory government
• Local government
• Regional universities
• Not-for-profit entities
• First Nations groups
• Regional Development Australia committees
• Community organisations
• Private enterprise
• Australian government agencies that have policy/program interests or responsibilities.

The Regional Precincts and Partnerships Program seeks to deliver transformative investment in regional, rural and remote Australia based on the principles of unifying regional places, growing their economies and serving their communities.

The program will focus on a partnership approach, bringing together governments and communities to deliver regional precincts that are tailored to local needs and have a shared vision in how that precinct connects to the region.

This grant opportunity is part of the regional Precincts and Partnerships Program.

The Precinct Development and Planning grant opportunity provides opportunities to develop a precinct idea through to investment-ready stage. The rationale for Stream One is to recognise that financial constraints can inhibit great concepts being explored further and developed into realistic, well-designed and planned projects.

For Stream One, the project is considered to be a plan for the entire precinct, even if you are only considering future investment in one element of the precinct. This contrasts with Stream Two, where the project is one or more elements of a precinct.

The objective of the grant opportunity is to activate partnerships to jointly deliver precinct plans.

The intended outcomes of the grant opportunity are to:

• establish partnerships comprised of relevant government entities, community organisations and businesses that have a shared vision for a regional precinct
• deliver precinct plans that are tailored to their local contexts and based on community feedback and engagement
• support precinct plans to become investment ready.

Partnerships are essential to the program, which has a focus on bringing together all interested parties to collaboratively plan or deliver precinct proposals. These partnerships are intended to be conglomerates of relevant entities as well as other local stakeholders, including but not limited to:

• State and Territory government
• Local government
• Regional universities
• Not-for-profit entities
• First Nations groups
• Regional Development Australia committees
• Community organisations
• Private enterprise
• Australian government agencies that have policy/program interests or responsibilities.

When regional town and village supplies are threatened by circumstances that could not be reasonably planned for, such as an extreme dry period or extreme water quality event, the NSW Government can help local water utilities to ensure critical human water needs are met. The Water Utilities branch within NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment can provide technical assistance and advice to local water utilities, and support when applying for financial assistance from the government.

The government can help local water utilities by providing technical and/or financial assistance to assist in managing depleted or at risk supplies, including help to implement emergency capital works or to cart water to towns, depending on the particular situation.

Where the source of supply is at very high or imminent risk of failure or has failed as the result of an extreme event, undertaking emergency capital works may be the recommended course of action. Works can include constructing emergency bore supplies, creating a temporary or permanent connection to another water source or water supply scheme, temporary emergency capital works or developing new emergency water sources.