Exceptional Circumstances Professional Advice and Planning Grant

On this page

• Assistance available
• Eligibility
• Claiming
• Find out more

Assistance available

The Exceptional Circumstances Professional Advice and Planning Grant (ECPAPG) provides eligible farm enterprises up to $5,500 (GST inclusive) to access professional business and financial advice to develop written business plans incorporating drought and risk management strategies.

Previous Professional Advice and Planning Grant recipients can access an additional $2,200 to re-evaluate your plans after a minimum of 6 months. You must have applied for and used this additional grant prior to your EC area end date or 30 June 2010 (whichever is earliest).

If you are eligible, the Exceptional Circumstances Professional Advice and Planning Grant can:

• assist you in planning to maintain or increase the productivity or profitability of your business
• provide funding to help you prepare for or manage your business in times of drought or climate variability
• allow you to undertake an independent review of your farming business.

Eligibility

You may be eligible for the Exceptional Circumstances Professional Advice and Planning Grant if you are a farmer and:

• are in an Exceptional Circumstances declared area
• have been farming for more than 2 years
• meet an asset test.

Note: Farmers in prima facie and interim declared areas are not eligible.

Only 1 grant per farm business will be issued and additional eligibility criteria may need to be met.

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Claiming

You will need to complete a Claim for Exceptional Circumstances Professional Advice and Planning Grant form and lodge it with us by 30 June 2010 or by the end of your EC end date (whichever is earliest).

For a claim form, you can:

• print out the claim for Professional Advice and Planning Grant form
• phone us on 13 2316
• visit your nearest Centrelink Customer Service Centre or Agent

Claim outcome

We will send you a letter advising if your claim is successful, and details of your payments.

If you disagree with a decision we make

You always have the right to appeal any decision made by Centrelink.

• Reviews and appeals
• Your rights

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Find out more

On this website

• Drought Assistance - useful Centrelink information
• Self-employed or farmer section

Other websites

• Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
• Drought Assistance - other Government websites

Publications

• Exceptional Circumstances Exit Package factsheet
• Other publications if you are self-employed or responsible for a farm

Contact us

• phone the Drought Assistance line on 13 2316
• find your nearest Centrelink Customer Service Centre or Agent

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