Rural Finance – On-Farm Emergency Water Infrastructure Rebate Scheme

This program seeks to offer a rebate to drought affected farmers who invest in urgently-needed on-farm water infrastructure that addresses animal welfare needs.

The rebate is 25% of the cost of purchase, delivery and/or professional installation of on-farm water infrastructure for animal welfare needs and to improve resilience to drought. The maximum rebate that can be claimed is $25,000 (GST exclusive) per farm enterprise.

A total funding pool of $5 million is available.

Eligible applicants must:
- Be the property owner, share farmer or lease holder undertaking grazing livestock production.
- Have their property located in an eligible Local Government Area.
- Be the primary producer, and as the owner and operator they:
a) Are registered as a primary producer with the Australian Tax Office and have an ABN and are registered for GST.
b) Have a right or interest in the land for the purposes of primary production.
c) Contribute a significant part of their labor and capital to the farming enterprise, and under normal business conditions, they earn more than 51% of their individual income from the farming enterprise.
d) Commenced their farming operation between 1 July 2015 and 30 June 2019 and 50% of their gross income will be derived from their Primary Production Business within three years of the date of their application. Eligibility of new entrants will be considered on a case-by case basis.
- Have purchased the eligible water infrastructure for livestock on or after the 1 July 2018.
- Have purchased the eligible water infrastructure for permanent horticultural plantings on or after the 1 July 2019.
- Can demonstrate that their property has, or is at risk of, an emergency animal welfare needs, which could include:
a) Water is currently being carted or about to be carted onto their property to supply livestock where water supply has run out.
b) Their property could be reasonably expected to run out of water before the next expected inflow of water.
c) The work will help ensure that the on-farm stock water supply system is more resilient to future dry seasonal conditions.

Farm businesses outside the Local Government Areas can make an application if they can demonstrate a critical water need for livestock resulting from current seasonal conditions. These applications will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Applicants that have received, have in-principle approval or intend to apply for a Victorian Government On-Farm Drought Infrastructure Support Grant are also eligible to apply.

Please refer to the Guidelines for the list of eligible Local Government Areas (LGAs).

Eligible activities include the purchase and installation of emergency water infrastructure for livestock. Eligible water infrastructure includes:
- Pipes
- Water storage devices such as tanks and troughs associated with stock watering
- Water pumps
- Permanent repairs to fixed infrastructure (e.g. repair piping)
- Drilling of new stock water bores and associated power supply such as generators, desalination plants
- Desilting works of existing stock and domestic dams, where they can demonstrate that area of the property does not have access to suitable groundwater
- Other materials or equipment necessary to install the above excluding purchase of machinery
- Any freight component to purchase and install the equipment
- The professional installation costs to install the water infrastructure

The following are ineligible for funding:
- Water infrastructure that has been purchased and installed where there is not an emergency animal need or the potential for this need.
- Water infrastructure that has been purchased and installed for uses other than to supply water for livestock.
- Water infrastructure for irrigation (including pasture, crop or fodder irrigation).
- Wages for their employees or their self-assessed labor or transport costs.
- Other types of on-farm infrastructure that do not relate to water improvements.
- Activities to which they have made a financial commitment prior to 1 July 2018.