A natural disaster assistance transport subsidy is available to eligible farmers who are affected by a declared natural disaster event. 

This subsidy pays for the cost of transporting:

• fodder and/or water to an affected property
• stock to sale or slaughter
• stock to/from agistment
• or bee or oyster movements.

A maximum subsidy of $15,000 can be claimed once by an eligible applicant for each declared natural disaster event, regardless of how many parcels of land, and regardless of whether that disaster spans one or two financial years.

The subsidy will be paid for road transport (for fodder, water, stock and bees) or water-based movements using a vessel (for oysters) at a rate of 50% of the total amount (GST exclusive) paid to the carrier or specified costs for an owner-driver. A maximum distance of 1500 km applies for road transport.

Refer to the Declared natural disasters table for LGA's eligible for this assistance.

To be eligible for the subsidy, you must be a primary producer, as an individual, trust, company or other primary production enterprise that:

• has a right or interest in a farm enterprise (this can include a lessee) or a Class A aquaculture permit covering oysters
• contributes a part of his, her or its labour and capital to the primary production enterprise
• derives at least 50% of his, her or its income from the primary production enterprise
• has assets that have suffered direct damage by the declared natural disaster
• has an active Australian Business Number (ABN) at the time of the declared natural disaster
• is a primary production enterprise located within a local government area impacted by the declared natural disaster.

Primary producers are defined as those that are listed under the Australian New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification 2006 (ANZSIC) 1292.0 (Revision 2.0) Codes: 

• 01 (Agriculture),
• 02 (Aquaculture),
• 03 (Forestry and Logging),
• 04 (Fishing, Hunting and Trapping) and
• 05 (Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Support Services).

• Email: rural.assist@raa.nsw.gov.au