What is the Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund?
The Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund is a grant opportunity to support the social and economic recovery of communities affected by bushfire in 47 regional NSW Local Government Areas.
Background
The NSW Government and Australian Government are supporting the recovery of bushfire impacted communities through a range of funding programs that support local and regional economic and social recovery – including initiatives across economic, social, built and natural environment recovery.
The Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund supports communities to recover both economically and socially from the 2019-2020 bushfires. The Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund will make $500 million available for projects in bushfire affected communities.
All projects supported under this grant funding will be jointly funded by the NSW and Australian Governments.
Funding
$250 million is available for new projects under the fund. Funding will be available in impacted regions, but will be focused on supporting the areas most impacted.
The grant funding for individual projects is dependent on the project type.
- Infrastructure projects must seek a minimum of $400,000 with a maximum available grant of $20 million
- Environmental projects including rehabilitation, remediation and resilience improvements must seek a minimum of $200,000 with a maximum available grant of $4 million.
- Programs, including social, business and environmental education initiatives must seek a minimum of $200,000 with a maximum available grant of $4 million.
Funding will be prioritised to support applications from areas most impacted by bushfires.
Eligible Projects
To be eligible projects must:
- support the recovery of the local community’s economy, social well-being, environment or improve resilience to future natural disasters
- be able to commence within six months of the funding deed being executed by the Department and be completed by 30 June 2023
- align with one of the following categories:
- enabling infrastructure
- industry and business development
- social development
- natural environment and resource development
- built environment adaption.
The specific scope of works and key milestones of the project must be defined in the application.
Eligible Applicants
Applicants must hold an Australian Business Number (ABN), Australian Company Number (ACN) or be registered with NSW Fair Trading under the Associations Incorporation Act 2009 or other Act.
An applicant must be one of the following entities:
- Councils
- Joint Organisation of Councils
- not-for-profit organisations, including business chambers, industry associations and charities
- research or academic organisations
- State Government corporations
- Local Aboriginal Land Councils.
For-profit organisations and state government agencies may be considered eligible applicants only where projects will deliver a clear public benefit.
A public/private partnership may only seek funding where the lead applicant is an eligible entity.
Section 355 committees of council are eligible to apply for funding, but the council will be required to execute the funding deed should the project be successful.
Applicants must have or be able and willing to purchase at least $20 million in public liability insurance.
Timing
Applications close 28 January 2021.
