Applications are now closed for horticulture producers in this
round. For information on future rounds please contact our
office.
What is it?
Reef Rescue is $200 million five-year, Australian Government
initiative to improve water quality in the Great Barrier Reef. It
includes a $146 million Water Quality Grants Scheme to assist
farmers to improve practices.
What is it aiming to achieve?
The goal of the Reef Rescue program is to improve the quality of
runoff water entering the Great Barrier Reef lagoon. It aims
to do this by increasing the adoption of land management practices
that reduce the runoff of nutrients, pesticides and sediments from
agricultural land.
How does it work?
Growers will be encouraged to adopt best management practices,
through the provision of technical support and financial
incentives.
With support from Growcom extension staff, participating growers
will:
- Undertake a Farm Management System (FMS) Risk assessment for
water Quality to identify areas for improvement in practices;
and
- Develop an Action Plan for activities that result in
corresponding water quality improvements.
This will form the basis for an application for Reef Rescue
funds. If successful growers will:
- receive funding to undertake those practice changes;
- undertake funded soil and leaf testing and record current
farming practices;
- complete those changes within an agreed timeframe; and
- receive subsidised training in nutrient, irrigation and/or
pesticide management.
Grants are available for one or more practice improvements. The
grants are a one-off incentive and not an ongoing subsidy - grant
payment for a particular practice change will only be made once per
farm.
What can the grants fund?
In the horticulture industry, financial grants will be available to
implement changes in:
- nutrient management – using
fertilisers and nutrients more efficiently (e.g., variable rate
application, fertigation, organic nutrient sources);
- pesticide management - developing
alternatives and/or using pesticides more efficiently (e.g.,
integrated pest management, alternative methods (mulch), improved
application technology);
- soil management – improving
health and structure of soil (e.g. controlled traffic (GPS),
interrow management & soil cover, contour management, headland,
drain and waterway management); and
- water management - improving
irrigation efficiency and management (e.g., system audits,
system efficiency improvements, improved application technology,
stormwater structures, organic or biodegradable mulch).
What things can’t be funded?
There are a number of things that are excluded. These are mainly to
do with things that are part of normal farming operations, or a
grower’s legal responsibility.
Who can access the grants, how and for what
dollars?
Grants are potentially available to anyone who is able to implement
an on-farm practice change; this includes individual farmers,
groups of farmers, industry and contractors.
Individual Growers
- 50 per cent incentive support offered to farm enterprises
wishing to adopt improved practices in management areas of soil,
nutrient and/or pesticide management.
- Up to a maximum of $40,000 per grower.
- Applications via an Action Plan developed based on completion
of Growcom’s FMS risk assessment process.
Multi Grower/Industry
- Up to 50 per cent of funding support for the development
of on ground works which are of benefit to a group of horticulture
enterprises.
Successful applicants are expected to provide a matching
contribution equivalent to the dollar value of the grant. The
matching contributions can be a combination of cash and/or in-kind.
In-kind can include: grower time to undertake the project,
equipment and machinery use, salaries of staff involved directly in
the project, etc. Where a project might result in a significant
private benefit, the applicant will be expected to provide a
contribution that reflects that benefit.
Where incentives are paid to
achieve nutrient, chemical or sediment reduction outcomes by the
use of more efficient application equipment or modification of
existing equipment, the landholder is expected to make a
contribution of at least 50 per cent of the cost, in cash.
When does it start?
Expressions of Interest and applictions are now closed.
