The Drought Infrastructure Fund is a long term, low interest loan product supporting NSW farmers to invest in permanent on-farm infrastructure.

This program was previously know as the Farm Innovation Fund.

The Drought Infrastructure Fund is a long term, low interest loan product supporting NSW farmers to invest in permanent on-farm infrastructure that will:

• manage adverse seasonal conditions - improve water efficiencies with irrigation systems, cap and piping of bores, new dams, install water tanks and desilting of ground tanks
• ensure long term sustainability - increase the viability of a farm business and improve pasture and soil health, plant trees for shade and wildlife corridors, eradicate weeds, flood proof property and fence river banks.
• improve farm productivity - reduce risks and improve efficiencies by building fodder and grain storage facilities, sheds, fencing, roadworks and solar power conversions.

Eligible producers can borrow up to $1 million per project, with a total of $1 million outstanding at any one time to build on-farm infrastructure, including stock containment areas. A 2.5% fixed interest rate is applied to Drought Infrastructure Fund loans which can be repaid over a period of 20 years.

Applications are now open and will continue to be accepted until program funding is exhausted.

Eligibility Criteria:

• you are the owner or operator of a farm business where the work is to be carried out
• your business operates as a sole trader, partnership, trust, or private company and trades agricultural products
• your business is registered with the Australian Taxation Officer as a primary producer and has an Australian Business Number (ABN)
• as the owner and operator, you earn more than 50% of your gross income from your primary production enterprise under normal seasonal circumstances; or you are classified as a “new entrant”, meaning that you have been operating your farm business for between 12 months to 3 years and more than 50% of your gross income will be derived from the farm business within 3 years of the date of the application. The applications of new entrants will be considered on a case-by-case basis
• you do not have gross off-farm assets exceeding $5,000,000 (excluding funds in a registered superannuation fund).

Exclusions:

• Farm plant, machinery, all vehicles and transportable items such as field bins, grain augers, etc.
• All residential farm premises/buildings.
• Use of own machinery or own labour.
• All farm inputs.
• Non-farm related items.

• Email: rural.assist@raa.nsw.gov.au