Irrigation Management Grant

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• Irrigation Management Grant
• Eligibility
• Spending your grant
• Finding out more

Irrigation Management Grant

The Irrigation Management Grant was announced on 25 September 2007 to help irrigators in the Murray-Darling Basin manage reduced water allocations.

Note: The grant closed to new entrants on 31 March 2009. If you received a grant under the scheme, you must spend the funds by 31 December 2009.

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Eligibility

To be eligible for the Irrigation Management Grant you had to:

• be at least 18 years old and living in Australia
• have a current Australian Business Number (ABN) that existed on 25 September 2007
• have a right or interest in the land used for the purposes of a farm enterprise, contribute a significant part of your labour and capital to the farm enterprise and derive a significant part of your income from the farm enterprise
• have been a farmer for 2 years prior to lodging your application
• have identified the activities for managing reduced water allocations
• meet an off-farm asset test.

You also had to be an irrigator, that is, you either had to:

• be an irrigator in or draw water from the Murray-Darling Basin as your sole source of irrigation
• demonstrate you have derived income from irrigation activities within the 3 years before you applied for a grant
• demonstrate you have incurred expenses for irrigation activities within the 3 years prior to the date of application
• demonstrate you would have derived an income from irrigation activities if water allocations were not significantly reduced, or
• hold an active license for irrigation entitlement.

Note: You must access your water from a regulated source and have been subjected to reduced water allocations payment rate of Murray-Darling Basin Irrigation Management Grant.

Grants of up to $20,000 were available.

Important: Keep a copy of your Centrelink letter telling you about your grant for tax purposes.

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Spending your grant

The Irrigation Management Grant was available to fund eligible activities undertaken on farms between 1 July 2007 and 31 December 2009 to implement water management strategies to improve farm practices on farms with reduced water allocations.

Eligible activities include:

• costs associated with implementing water efficient crop options
• equipment replacement to maintain irrigation systems (including computer software, piping and pumps)
• fixed water charges
• laser levelling
• piping, troughs and associated activities for stock and domestic water
• pruning activities to minimise the impact of low water allocations
• reconfiguring irrigation systems
• sinking, extending or refurbishment of bores (and pumps).

Examples of ineligible activities include:

• accounting fees
• purchasing or leasing of vehicles
• purchasing or servicing of assets not directly involved in the operation of the farm enterprise
• purchasing water or fodder
• re-financing existing loans.

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Finding out more

• Are you self-employed or responsible for a farm
• Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
• Drought Assistance - other Government websites

Online publications

• Are you a farmer, self-employed or rural Australian
• Drought Assistance

Contact us

• message us
• phone the Drought Assistance line on 13 2316
• phone the Murray-Darling Basin line on Freecall™1800 050 015
• phone the free TTY service on Freecall™1800 810 586 if you have a hearing or speech impairment
• visit your nearest Centrelink Customer Service Centre or Agent

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