The purpose of the Program is to support the economic recovery of villages and town centres through direct assistance to small and medium sized businesses and local government-led Central Business Districts (CBD) activation and revitalisation projects. 

A total of $9.5 million is available to support the most impacted disaster declared LGAs in the Northern Rivers region of NSW that experienced Direct Damage to local infrastructure due to the February 2022 floods.

The Program has been designed to support projects that will provide a public benefit, with funding available through two targeted streams:

Stream 1 – Infrastructure support for small and medium sized businesses - minimum $250,000 Maximum $2 million

Stream 2 – CBD activation and revitalisation projects delivered by Councils - minimum $50,000 Maximum $500,000

The key objectives of the Northern Rivers Towns and Villages Resilient Business Activation Program are:

• to provide financial assistance to aid in the repair, restoration and resilience of Small-Medium Businesses (SMBs) that suffered significant damage as a result of the disaster event and continue to experience impacts preventing them to re-open and operate.
• to provide support to SMBs that prior to the disaster provided a product or service that serviced a local need within the community; and where that local need continues to remain unmet.
• to improve the visual appeal, usability and safety of public areas to attract pedestrians, shoppers, and tourists and to support CBD revitalisation efforts. 

Eligible Project Types

Eligible Applicants must identify projects that are for the repair, resilience or restoration of infrastructure assets that benefit the local community and align with one or more of the Program objectives. Applicants must demonstrate local need and support, and that the project will continue to service the community into the future. 

Infrastructure projects must:

• meet the definition of eligible infrastructure and/or re-damaged eligible infrastructure that has suffered Direct Damage (refer to Definition in Appendix A).
• be for the purpose of repair of directly damaged eligible infrastructure because of the eligible disaster declaration event (refer to Appendix A)

Ineligible Projects

Ineligible projects include those that:

• Are not an infrastructure project;
• Are not located within an eligible LGA;
• Are the recipient of duplicate grant funding from another NSW or Australian Government grant program for the same project and/or insurance claims;
• Are for assets that were not directly damaged as a result of the Eligible Disaster Declaration Events and/or Eligible Infrastructure that have not undergone reconstruction works (refer Definitions);
• Are for a privately-owned asset or are on private land, unless there is a clear public benefit, and the landowner has provided documented consent;
• Are for marketing, advertising or product promotion;
• Do not demonstrate alignment to the program Objectives; and/or
• Require ongoing funding from the NSW Government.

Eligibility Criteria

All EOI applications submitted will need to meet the program’s Eligibility Criteria.

Local Council applicants can submit multiple applications but must submit only one project per application.

The eligibility criteria include:

• the Applicant is an eligible Applicant;
• the project is an eligible project type; and
• the project is being delivered within an eligible LGA.

Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants for Stream 1 are:

• Small and Medium sized businesses (between 1 and 199 FTE employees) who:
  • Hold an active ABN registered prior to 22 February 2022;
  • Were operating in an eligible location for at least 12 months prior to 22 February 2022;
  • Are physically located and operating in an eligible LGA and this is reflected as the main business location on the Australian Business Register;
  • Suffered significant Direct Damage to assets as a direct result of the disaster events;
  • Intend to continue or re-establish their main business operations within an eligible location; and
  • Can demonstrate they were financially viable prior to the disaster events.

Eligible applicants for Stream 2 are:

• Local councils

In addition, applicants from both streams must meet all of the following requirements:

• have an Australian Business Number (ABN)
• be one of the following:
  • a company incorporated in Australia
  • an incorporated association or co-operative
  • a partnership
  • a sole trader
  • a local council
  • a Local Aboriginal Land Council
• not be insolvent, bankrupt or subject to ongoing legal proceedings
• be able to demonstrate that they have at least $20 million public liability insurance or be willing to secure the insurance before entering into a Funding Deed if the application is successful.

Businesses may also be considered eligible if, in the determination of the New South Wales Government, exceptional circumstances apply. This may include, but is not limited to, consideration of businesses which are not registered within Northern Rivers as their main business location, however, can demonstrate they have significant operations within the Northern Rivers, and meet all other eligibility requirements.

Applicants can submit a joint application, but a lead applicant will need to be nominated. If the application is successful, the lead applicant will enter into the Funding Deed and be ultimately responsible for delivering the project.

Eligible Project Locations

Projects must be located in one of the below eligible Local Government Areas (LGAs):

• Ballina Shire Council
• Byron Shire Council
• Clarence Valley Council
• Lismore City Council
• Kyogle Council
• Richmond Valley Council
• Tweed Shire Council

• Phone: 0447 071 702
• Email: programdesigndelivery@regional.nsw.gov.au