Woolworths and Landcare Australia are once again inviting primary schools and early learning centres across the country to apply for a Woolworths Junior Landcare Grant. With 1,000 grants on offer, this is a fantastic opportunity to set up a new environmental project or enhance an existing one. Previous grant recipients are welcome to apply again if they have submitted a final report for their previous grant project.

The grants, of up to $1,000 each, inspire children from across the country to get hands-on with the natural environment through projects that focus on sustainable food production, improving waste management practices and recycling, enhancing native habitats and deepening connections to First Nations perspectives.

The Local Sporting Champions program provides financial assistance for coaches, officials and competitors aged 12-18 participating in state, national or international championships.

If successful, applicants will receive $500-$750 towards the cost of attending their championships.

• Base Grant: $500
• Applicants travelling 800km - 1999km to nominated championships:+ $100
• Applicants travelling internationally or greater than 2000km to their nominated championships: + $200
• Applicants residing in a rural electorate: + $50

The aim of the WRWF Community Fund is to financially support initiatives and projects that enrich and enhance the local community.

Funding applications will be considered from all sectors, including but not limited to community development, the arts, education and training (including scholarships through organisations), health and wellbeing, sport, economic development, environment and sustainability.

The objective of the program is to support the wellbeing of children and young people living in regional NSW and promote social inclusion and community connections.
This program is funded by the NSW Government’s COVID-19 Economic Recovery Strategy.
Funding recipients can be government or non-government organisations in eligible
regional Local Government Areas (LGAs) such as:

• local councils
• community groups
• not-for-profit organisations
• Local Aboriginal Land Council
• schools
• neighbourhood centres

• community events and social activities
• sport and recreational programs
• youth mental health training
• cultural and community connection programs
• healing initiatives to support Aboriginal children, vulnerable children and young
• people affected by adverse events
• peer support programs, mentoring and training for children and young people
• digital communications and resources

A maximum amount of $50,000 allocated to each eligible LGA and joint applications from a number of LGAs are encouraged.

Originally launched in 2019, the Qantas Regional Grants program aims to help these communities sustain brighter futures by providing financial, flight and marketing support to charities, organisations, causes, projects and individuals.

The Qantas Regional Grants program complements our broader range of initiatives we provided on an ongoing basis to regional Australia to strengthen regional communities, drive local economic activity, stimulate tourism and support jobs. This includes capping fares from flood-affected communities, year-round discounts for residents in regional and remote towns to make air travel more accessible, and the addition of new regional routes since the start of the pandemic.

Further information & eligibility

The program is designed to provide funding for projects that promote appreciation and understanding of the experiences of service and the roles that those who served have played, and to preserve, add to the sum knowledge on, or provide access to information about Australia’s wartime heritage.

There are 2 categories of grants available under the program:

1. Community Grants (STS-CG)
Grants to a maximum of $10,000 are available for local, community-based projects and activities.

2. Major Grants (STS-MG)
Grants between $10,001 and $150,000 are available for major commemorative projects and activities that are significant from a national, state, territory and/or regional perspective.
If your project involves restoring/changing a memorial, there may be heritage considerations. Information is available from your state or territory government heritage body, or at the Department of Veterans’ Affairs website.

Further information & eligibility

The NSW Government is helping kids get active with the Active Kids program.

The Active Kids program provides a $100 voucher for parents, guardians and carers of school-enrolled children to use towards sport and active recreation costs each year.

The vouchers may be used with a registered activity provider for registration fees, participation and membership costs for sport, as well as fitness and active recreation activities.

Further information & eligibility

The Office of the NSW Chief Scientist & Engineer (OCSE) manages the Supporting Young Scientists Program (SYSP).

The SYSP offers grants to NSW high school students participating 'in person' or virtually in competitions, events or courses, either domestically or internationally, which offer the potential for significant educational advancement in an area related to science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM). The grant is provided for competitions, events or courses being held from July 2022 to June 2023.

Grants are awarded on an ad hoc basis until allocated funds are expended and are the primary mechanism by which funding will be awarded to eligible NSW high school students participating in STEM-related competitions, events or courses. The judging panel is composed of OCSE staff members.

Further information & eligibility

• moving from a regional or remote area for tertiary study
• starting tertiary study in the year after finishing year 12 or equivalent.

The Australian Government is inviting consortia via an open competitive process to apply for grants under the Long-term Trials of Drought Resilient Farming Practices Program (the program). It is anticipated that the program will support grants valued up to $8 million dollars per grant, depending on the scope and complexity of the project.

The program will fund innovative and transformational practices that have the potential to positively influence (socially, economically and/or environmentally) the efficiency, productivity, and sustainability of Australian farms from the impacts of drought and climate change.

Projects will have a focus on grain cropping, livestock grazing and/or mixed cropping and livestock systems. Projects will test, refine, and demonstrate the effectiveness (or otherwise) of yet-to-be-proven farming practices in a robust scientific manner. The testing of these practices will underpin and assist to drive widespread adoption through increased evidence and by providing farmers with the confidence and information they need to try the practices themselves.

Applications are being sought from collaborative, multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional consortia including farmers. Each consortium must nominate a lead organisation who will be solely accountable to the department for the delivery of the activities and manage the grant funds in accordance with the funding agreement.

The Rheem Apprentice Plumber Grants are back, with $30,000 worth of grants once again up for grabs!

There are ten grants available to apprentice plumbers and gas fitters across the country, each worth $3,000.

Each grant includes $2,000 to go towards TAFE/RTO fees and textbooks, and a $1,000 tool voucher, plus a tote tool bag.

To be eligible, you must be an apprentice plumber or gas fitter in Australia, either current or starting in 2023*.

Are you an apprentice or do you know of an apprentice that deserves $3,000 to help kickstart their career in 2023.

Like and Follow Rheem on​ Facebook @rheemaustralia to keep up with the latest news on the 2023 Rheem Apprentice Plumber Grants.

*Please note Grant recipients from previous years are not eligible to enter. If you have previously entered but were unsuccessful, you are still eligible to enter in 2023.

AgSkilled provides fully funded accredited training to meet industry training needs across four key pillars: Production, Technology, Business and Safety.

Current, relevant and flexible AgSkilled training is tailored and delivered to suit the specific needs of your industry and business and can be adjusted to suit students with a range of skills and experience.

Training covers areas as diverse as:

• Agronomy
• Business management
• Emerging technologies
• Farm machinery operation and maintenance
• Leadership and management
• Precision agriculture
• Soils and nutrition
• Workplace health and safety

About AgSkilled

NSW Flooding - including events that began on 4 August and 14 September through until November 2022. Glen Innes Severn is an eligible LGA.

Assistance is being provided to declared local government areas in NSW through the jointly funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).

Primary producers recovering from the devastating impacts of floods are receiving vital support, with Category D Special Disaster Grants of up to $75,000 now available.

Flood-affected primary producers are encouraged to apply for the grant to support recovery and get back to operating as soon as possible.

Once approved, primary producers may be eligible for a $25,000 up-front payment, with a further $75,000 in financial assistance available thereafter upon submission of valid tax invoices.

If you're a small business or a not-for-profit organisation in NSW and you've been directly impacted by storms and floods from 4 August 2022 or 14 September 2022 onwards, you may be eligible for a storm and flood disaster recovery small business grant.

This disaster recovery grant of up to $50,000 is to help pay for the costs of clean-up and reinstatement of a small business or not-for-profit organisation’s operations.

You must be a small business or a not-for-profit organisation in a defined disaster area (AGRN 1030 or 1034) to be eligible. Glen Innes Severn is included.

Covered costs could include, but are not limited to:

• payment for tradespeople to conduct safety inspections
• equipment and materials required for cleaning up
• equipment and materials essential for immediately resuming operations
• payment for a cleaner if the service would not have been needed, or exceed ordinary cleaning costs, in the absence of the disaster
• the removal and disposal of debris, damaged materials or damaged stock
• repairing premises and internal fittings
• leasing temporary premises within the defined disaster area, replacing or repair of motor vehicles registered for business use, or replacing lost or damaged stock, if it’s essential for resuming operations

Strengthening Business is a service under the AusIndustry Entrepreneurs' Programme that connects you with experts to make your business stronger, more resilient and better prepared for the future.

What do you get?

You’ll be paired with an independent facilitator. Your facilitator will recommend ways to strengthen your business systems, operations and strategies. The facilitator will help you get back on your feet and identify opportunities to improve your business. They'll provide a roadmap with their recommendations.

Who is this for?

Small businesses located in regions impacted by the 2019–20 Black Summer bushfires and recent flood emergencies. Glen Innes Severn is an applicable LGA.

• Agriculture – dairy, extensive livestock (sheep and cattle), intensive livestock (pork and poultry), apiculture and broadacre cropping
• Aquaculture – oysters, mussels and fisheries
• Horticulture – turf, vegetables, berries, cut flowers and plant nurseries, perennial tree crops (nut crops, tea tree etc)
• Forestry – private native forests and timber plantations.

The following tax relief support is available for NSW businesses impacted by COVID-19:

• 2021 payroll tax deferral and new support payment arrangement for ALL businesses;
• 50% reduction in 2021/22 payroll tax liability for businesses with grouped Australian wages of $10 million or less who experienced a 30% decline in turnover;
• Payroll tax customers eligible for a 2021 COVID-19 Business Grant or JobSaver payment whose total grouped Australian wages for the 2021/22 financial year are $10 million or less, will have their annual tax liability reduced by 50% when they lodge their 2022 Annual Payroll Tax Reconciliation online; and
• Customers with total grouped wages of $10 million or less, who did not receive a 2021 COVID-19 Business Grant or JobSaver payment, may still be eligible for the 50% reduction if they are able to demonstrate that they have experienced a 30% decline in turnover during a minimum 14-day period during the ‘Greater Sydney lockdown’ (26 June to 30 November 2021) compared to the same period in 2019 or 2020.

Further information & eligibility

If you’ve been affected by a bushfire, storm or flood, Legal Aid NSW can help you with everyday legal problems including insurance claims and disputes, financial hardship, tenancy and Centrelink.

An Early Resolution Assistance (ERA) approval of $2000 in professional fees is available for legal services and up to an additional $5000 is available for disbursements.
Funding extensions are available in reasonable circumstances. An eligible business or primary producer with more than one bushfire-related legal matter may receive
more than one approval for legal services and related expenses.
To be eligible for funding under the Scheme, the applicant must be:

• a primary producer or small business owner;
• have a farm or business located in a designated LGA. Glen Innes Severn is included on this LGA eligibility list, and
• have a legal issue arising from the 2019/2020 bushfire season in one of the designated LGAs.

You can call Legal Aid through LawAccess NSW on 1800 801 529 between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday.

Further information & eligibility

Renewable Energy Target participants who invest in, and generate, renewable energy may be eligible for financial incentives under the scheme.

These financial incentives are offered in the form of tradable certificates, which act as an electronic form of currency.

Under the Renewable Energy Target, if you have installed an eligible small-scale renewable energy system within the past 12 months you may be eligible to create small-scale technology certificates.
The number of small-scale technology certificates that can be created per system is based on geographical location, installation date, and the amount of electricity in megawatt hours (MWh) the system generates or displaces over the course of its deemed generation period.

Owners of eligible systems may be eligible to receive either an upfront discount off the total cost of their system, or a quantity of small-scale technology certificates which can be created and sold following installation to recoup some of the cost.

Further information & eligibility

The $110 million Regional Investment Activation Fund will co-invest with eligible entities on projects that will deliver significant economic, social and/or environmental benefits for a priority industry or location.

Stream Two of the Regional Investment Activation Fund grant funding may be used for capital and other expenses directly related to the delivery of eligible projects. This may include:

• Purchase of land (if necessary for the project and suitable alternatives to rent do not exist)
• Purchasing, constructing, installing and/or commissioning new plant, equipment and/or machinery
• Purchasing, constructing, establishing and/or fitting out new facilities, buildings or hubs
• Purchasing technology and/or intellectual property (IP) required to undertake the project
• Upgrading existing facilities, buildings, plant, equipment, machinery and/or technology where necessary to deliver the project and achieve its outcomes
• Cost of contractors to construct new buildings and facilities
• External project management and administration costs up to 10% of project cost
• Contingency costs up to 25% of project cost
• Eligible costs incurred once both parties have signed a Funding Deed.

• Have an Australian Business Number (ABN)
• Be one of the following:
  • A company incorporated in Australia
  • A company limited by guarantee
  • An incorporated trustee on behalf of a trust
  • An incorporated association or co-operative
  • An Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Corporation registered under the
  • Corporations (Aboriginal and /or Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006.
• Be registered for GST
• Be financially viable and able to demonstrate that they are likely to remain so over the duration of the project
• Have at least $20 million public liability insurance or be able to secure before entering into a Funding Deed if successful.

Applicants should consider how they can support accessibility for people with disability above the Australian Standards (AS)1428.1-2009 or supporting universal design principles when undertaking new or upgraded site works and fit-out.
Please refer to the Stream Two Program Guidelines for further information on eligible project costs, including examples of ineligible project costs (see attached link).
Applicants must provide a cash co-contribution of at least 50 per cent of the total project cost.
Joint applications are eligible under Stream Two of the Regional Investment Activation Fund provided the lead applicant satisfies the eligibility criteria and the proposed project aligns to the key objectives of the fund and Stream Two. Applicants can be based internationally, interstate or in either metropolitan or regional NSW.

Further information & eligibility

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 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:

• 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.
• 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

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.

Further information & eligibility

Information acknowledgment sources and disclaimer: Information for this March 2023 newsletter was sourced from www.grants.gov.au, www.business.gov.au, Regional Development Australia Northern Inland and/or the following Government departments, business, industry or philanthropy organisations on grants and support programs including Australian Government - Hon. Barnaby Joyce, MP for New England’s office, Australian Government – Australian Council for the Arts, NSW Government – Department of Regional NSW, Woolworths, White Rock Wind Farm Fund Committee, Australian Government - Sport Australia, Qantas, Australian Government – Department of Veteran’s Affairs, NSW Government – Service NSW, NSW Government – Office of the Chief Scientist and Engineer, Australian Government – Services Australia, NSW Government – Regional Arts NSW, Australian Government - Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Rheem Australia, NSW Government - Training Services, NSW Government - Rural Assistance Authority, Australian Government – AusIndustry, NSW Government- Department of Regional NSW, NSW Government – Revenue, Legal Aid NSW, Australian Government – Clean Energy Regulator, and NSW Government – Department of Water.