Farm grants extended

SMALLER-SCALE farmers previously not eligible for assistance may now be able to receive grants of between $5000 and $10,000 under new guidelines.
The one-off grants are part of a $7 million Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund package aimed at helping with repairs or replacement of destroyed or damaged farm infrastructure.
The grants can also be used to reimburse farmers who have already invested their own money to meet these costs.
The grants have been made possible through changes to the Australian Tax Office laws that have provided more flexibility for the VBAF. The funding is in addition to assistance already delivered by the appeal fund to rural landowners affected by the fires through the Rural Property Assistance Scheme, which provided $5000 to rural landowners with properties greater than two hectares affected by the fires.
Under the new Primary Producers Repair and Restoration Grant, farmers who did not receive the Commonwealth’s National Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA) Clean Up and Restoration Grant will receive $10,000 from the appeal fund. This group is made up of primary producers who earned less than 51 per cent of their income from their farming business in 2008/09.
Primary producers who did receive the NDRRA grant received it because they generated more than 51 per cent of their income from their farming business. This group will receive $5000 from the Appeal Fund, on top of the up to $25,000 they received from the Commonwealth.
The Rural Finance Corporation will administer the Primary Producers Repair and Restoration payments on behalf of the Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund.
Anyone wanting information about assistance should call the Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund hotline on 1800 180 213 or visit www.dhs.vic.gov.au/bushfireappeal