This program aims to provide funding for one-off rebates to eligible primary producers for the costs associated with the purchase and installation of on-farm water infrastructure that addresses animal welfare needs and improves resilience to drought.
The rebate is 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 or drought resilience. The maximum that can be claimed is $25,000 per farm enterprise and several claims can be made up to that sum, under the one application.
Primary producers will be eligible to apply through this program (Round 2) for the rebates which will cover eligible expenses that have not already been claimed, and that were incurred since 1 July 2018. The scheme is also available to horticulturalists with permanent plantings.
The availability of rebates is subject to funds being available. No rebates will be offered beyond the allocated total funding pool.
A total funding pool of $15 million is available.
As announced in the 2021-22 Federal Budget, an additional funding of $30 million is available in 2021-22 to extend the On-farm Emergency Water Infrastructure Rebate Scheme by one year to 30 June 2022.
Who Can Apply?
Eligible applicants must:
- Be a property owner, share-farmer or lessee in the grazing industry (as confirmed by their Land and Stock Return).
- Have a business that operates as a sole trader, partnership, trust or private company.
- Have a business that is identified by the Australian Taxation Office as a primary producer, and has an Australian Business Number (ABN).
- Have a property that has been at risk of, an emergency animal welfare need or they have experienced other negative impacts from drought because of a lack of water infrastructure.
- As the owner and operator, they earn more than 50% of their gross income from their primary production enterprise under normal seasonal circumstances.
- They are classified as a “new entrant”, meaning that they have been operating your farm business for between 12 months to three years and more than 50% of their gross income will be derived from the farm business within three years of the date of the application. Applicants can include group-mart configured references. The applications of new entrants will be considered on a case by case basis.
- They do not have gross off farm assets exceeding $5 million excluding funds in a registered superannuation fund.
- They installed or plan to install, water infrastructure for animal welfare needs or drought resilience activities.
- They can demonstrate that the work will help ensure that stock water is available into the future to prepare for animal welfare concerns and improve drought resilience.
- The water infrastructure is or will be installed for livestock permanently residing on their property.
Please refer to the Guidelines for the complete eligibility requirements.
Eligible Activities
Eligible activities include:
1. For the purchase and installation of emergency water infrastructure after 1 July 2018 for livestock and drought resilience for primary producers
- Pipes.
- Water storage devices such as tanks and troughs associated with stock watering.
- Water pumps.
- De-silting dams, drilling of new stock water bores and associated power supply such as generators.
- Construction of new dams for stock use only, noting that all required work approvals and environmental permits must be obtained prior to commencing work.
- Repair or improvement of existing stock water bores and associated power supply such as generators.
- Solar systems support water infrastructure.
- Other materials or equipment necessary to install the above excluding purchase of machinery.
- Freight components to purchase and install the equipment.
- Professional installation costs to install the water infrastructure.
2. For horticulture farmers with permanent plantings applies to water infrastructure purchased after 30 June 2019
- New horticulture groundwater bores.
- Desilting dams.
Restrictions
The following are ineligible for funding:
- Water infrastructure that has been purchased and installed where there is not an emergency animal welfare need or drought resilience preparedness requirement, or the potential for this need, aside from horticulturalists with permanent plantings where provisions from section 3k and 3l relate.
- Water infrastructure that has been purchased and installed for uses other than to supply water for livestock, aside from horticulturalists with permanent plantings.
- Wages for your employees or your self-assessed labour costs.
