Wednesday, 27 May 2020
NORTHERN Tablelands MP and Minister for Agriculture Adam Marshall has today urged the region’s bushfire affected forestry businesses, horticulturists and beekeepers to apply for assistance through the State Government’s new $140 million Bushfire Industry Recovery Package.
Mr Marshall said targeted grants were now available to help identified sectors rebuild, recover and regrow.
“The bushfires of the recent summer have forced local industries like forestry, horticulture and apiary to their knees,” Mr Marshall said.
“Through this program funding will be available in two streams, with an initial focus on supply chain support grants that will help cover the cost of resuming and maintaining production.
“To ensure beekeepers can continue their important work pollenating plants and providing delicious honey, they are able to access funding to purchase pollen, pollen substitutes or sugar to feed their hives.
“Funding is also available for orchardists to clean up damaged equipment or replace trees, trellises and netting, while forestry businesses can seek support for the haulage and storage of burnt timber.
“Since funding was announced to support our most bushfire affected industries, the State Government has worked with sectors directly to design the specific assistance needed to get businesses back on their feet and foster long-term recovery.
“We are providing grants to ensure these key driver industries can continue to generate jobs and economic growth for our area, because bushfire impacted towns that are now enduring COVID-19 cannot afford further job losses and economic downturn.”
Mr Marshall said the second funding stream would support projects that help affected industries create new jobs and build future sustainability.
“While getting businesses back operating is the first step, we also need to be looking at what can be done to make them more sustainable in the face of future disasters,” he said.
“This funding package backs projects that will boost future industry resilience, things like adopting new manufacturing processes, technology upgrades, productivity improvements for cooperative facilities and industry wide marketing campaigns.
“It’s going to be a long road to recovery, but the NSW Government will be there every step of the way to make sure our primary producers get the support they need.”
Mr Marshall said this latest support was on top of the more than $81 million in grants distributed so far by the NSW Government to bushfire impacted primary producers and the $209 million made available to help with the cost of replacing boundary fencing.
Applications are now open. For more information, including how to apply, important deadlines, program guidelines and eligibility criteria, please visit www.nsw.gov.au/bushfire-industry-recovery-package