Adjusting to economic and technological change
Sustainable Regions Programme
The $100.5 million Sustainable Regions Programme assists selected regions undergoing major economic, social or environmental change and supports community leadership in the development of local solutions. The programme, with funding of $36.2 million for 2002-03, assists the selected regions to plan for the future, build capacity for strategic and informed decision making at the regional level and contribute to the implementation of projects that can make a real difference to economic opportunity and quality of life. The programme also aims to work in partnership with other levels of government and the private sector to ensure that there is broad and integrated consideration of the issues within the regions.
The prototype regions selected for assistance under the programme are the Atherton Tablelands, Wide Bay Burnett, Far North-east New South Wales, Campbelltown-Camden, Gippsland, North-west and West Coast Tasmania, Playford-Salisbury and the Kimberley.
South-west Forests Structural Adjustment Package
The Government committed $5 million in 2000-01 for a structural adjustment package to support long-term employment generation in the South-west Forests Region of Western Australia, which has been directly affected by changes to the timber industry. The aim of the package is to diversify the economic base of the region and build on its competitive advantage by supplementing private and other investment in employment-generating projects.
Wide Bay Burnett Structural Adjustment Package
The Wide Bay Burnett Structural Adjustment Package of $4 million over one year from 2001-02 is designed to diversify the economic base of the region and build its competitive advantage, leading to more jobs.
Exceptional circumstances drought assistance to the northern wheatbelt of Western Australia
The Government will provide up to $24 million over 3 years ($10.3 million in 2002-03) as exceptional circumstances assistance in nominated shires within the northern wheatbelt of Western Australia. The Government declared exceptional circumstances in this area on 7 March 2002. Funding for exceptional circumstances support is demand driven.
Exceptional circumstances assistance through interest rate subsidies is administered by the Western Australian Government on behalf the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth meets 90 per cent of the cost of interest rate subsidies approved with the remaining 10 per cent funded by the State Government.
Fortnightly income support for farm families in need of welfare assistance is provided through the Exceptional Circumstances Relief Payment, which is administered by Centrelink on behalf of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
Exceptional circumstances drought assistance to Western Australia and Queensland
The Government will provide funding over three years (including $26.5 million in 2002-03) as Exceptional Circumstances assistance in nominated shires within the eastern Darling Downs area of south east Queensland and two areas in the south eastern wheatbelt of Western Australia. The Government declared Exceptional Circumstances in the Western Australian areas on 3 August 2001 and south east Queensland on 22 August 2001.
Farm Help
$29.8 million for 2002-03 is provided for Farm Help (formerly the Farm Family Restart Scheme). A part of the Government's Agriculture - Advancing Australia package, Farm Help provides assistance for farm families in severe financial difficulties who cannot borrow further against their assets. It can be tailored to suit individual needs and offers assistance up to $51,500. Farm Help includes income support at the same rate as Newstart Allowance for up to 12 months, professional advice of up to $3,000 per family (excluding GST), a re-establishment grant of up to $45,000 for farmers who decide to leave farming and a re-training grant of up to $3,500 for re-establishment grant recipients.
Applications for income support can be made until 30 November 2003 with income support available until November 2004. Applications for re-establishment grants can be made until 30 November 2003.
Regional assistance
Programmes including the Rural Partnership Programme, Farm Assistance Programme in South Australia and the WEST 2000 Plus programme in the western division of NSW will receive $3.2 million in Commonwealth Government funding in 2002-03. All programmes are jointly funded by the Federal Government and respective State Governments. They promote and encourage industry adjustment, aiming to achieve long-term change and to encourage profitable and self-reliant rural sectors, sustainable management of the resource base and more robust, equitable and prosperous rural communities.
Rural Financial Counselling Service
The Rural Financial Counselling Service is part of the Government's Agriculture - Advancing Australia package, providing funding (up to 50 per cent) to help rural communities provide a free and confidential rural financial counselling service to agriculture, fishing and small rural enterprises. Enterprises that are in financial difficulty and unable to afford access to private sector advice, and need information and assistance to make decisions about their future business directions are assisted. With Commonwealth Government funding of $5.4 million for 2002-03, the project funds both community-based rural financial counselling services and short-term industry adjustment projects where a community or industry group believes that rural financial counselling could help achieve industry adjustment within a specific industry or target group.
Dairy Regional Assistance Programme
The Dairy Regional Assistance Programme (Dairy RAP) is part of the Federal Government's $1.94 billion Dairy Industry Adjustment Package.
Dairy RAP is designed to assist communities that have been affected by the deregulation of the diary industry. The programme commenced on 1 July 2000 with total funding of up to $45 million. In June 2001, Government legislation was passed supplementing the assistance provided under the Dairy Industry Adjustment Package. As part of this package a further $20 million was allocated to Dairy RAP, taking the total funding to up to $65 million. The programme facilitates long-term employment by supplementing business investment and provides support for services that will lead to on-going economic and social benefits for regions affected by dairy deregulation.
Both community and commercial enterprises are eligible to apply for funds under the guidelines.
Agricultural Development Partnerships
The Government will provide $20.4 million from 2002-03 to 2004-05 for the Agricultural Development Partnerships programme ($4.9 million in 2002-03). The partnerships provide assistance for structural adjustment, which is targeted to specific agricultural industries and regions experiencing significant problems affecting profitability and sustainability.
