The $85 million Building the Country Package will help retain jobs outside of Sydney, supporting people who live and work in country areas.
This new package complements existing programs designed to support regional communities. It has been developed in response to consultation undertaken in rural areas as part of the State Plan and the Rural and Regional Taskforce.
These programs will deliver new infrastructure and upgraded community facilities.
Local Infrastructure Support Fund
Community Broadband Development Fund
Water Adjustment Innovation Fund
Small Chambers of Commerce Fund
Country Halls Renewal Package
Small Communities Awareness Fund
Country Libraries Fund
Local Infrastructure Support Fund
This fund will provide $52 million over 5 years supporting infrastructure projects that are directly linked to economic development opportunities.
The fund aims to help offset the costs of specific critical infrastructure required for business establishment, expansion or relocation in regional NSW.
Applications for assistance will follow a two-stage process: expressions of interest followed by suitable projects being invited to enter an application for further assessment. Where infrastructure requirements are preventing an urgent business investment decision occurring, the Department may consider the project outside of a formal funding round.
Projects should be discussed with your local DSRD office prior to submitting an expression of interest. If you are unable to download this information, contact your local office or call Jillian Fryer on (02) 9338 6916.
The Department is currently accepting expressions of interest for projects in the second funding round. The document below outlines the criteria for eligible projects. Expressions of Interest in the second funding round close on 28 August 2009.
Download Local Infrastructure Support Fund Expression Of Interest [Word]
Community Broadband Development Fund
This fund will provide $11.6 million over 5 years to help small and remote towns set up community-based high speed broadband network facilities.
The assistance is for communities with less than 5,000 residents that do not have a fixed high speed wireless broadband service to support local business and industry development.
Expressions of interested are invited in the first instance. Successful applications will then receive assistance to determine local requirements and develop a design and deployment plan.
Contact Fran Schonberg (0418 225 652) at the Department of Lands Projects for further information or if you are unable to download this information.
Download Community Broadband Development Fund Expression of interest form [Word]
Water Adjustment Innovation Fund
This fund provides $9 million over 5 years to help businesses in communities affected by water management reforms to invest in the development of innovative products and services that benefit the environment.
Preference will be given to the development of projects that create local employment and investment, ensuring the sustainability of those communities.
Businesses, business clusters and industry groups located in catchment areas west of the Great Dividing Range are eligible to apply. Projects should be discussed with your local Industry & Investment NSW office prior to submitting an Expression of Interest. The second round of funding closes on Monday 23 November 2009.
If you are unable to download this information, contact your local I&I NSW office or call Paul Mathews on (02) 9338 6713.
Download Water Adjustment Innovation Fund - Expression of Interest Round 2.
For more information contact your nearest regional office:
Albury (02) 6041 4808
Armidale (02) 6771 3284
Broken Hill (08) 8087 8033
Dubbo (02) 6883 3100
Goulburn (02) 4821 8000
Orange (02) 6360 8400
Tamworth (02) 6766 1360
Wagga Wagga (02) 6921 6422
Small Chambers of Commerce Fund
This fund will provide $450,000 over 5 years to help small town chambers of commerce with promotional activities in country towns.
Applicants must be incorporated chambers of commerce or business development organisations such as progress associations or development groups, representing regional communities with a population of up to 5,000. 355 Committees of Councils are eligible to applyif the committee has a business development role or represents local businesses.
Regional NSW is defined as that area outside the Sydney Metropolitan area, that is, outside the County of Cumberland and the local government areas of Liverpool, Penrith, Camden and Campbelltown.
The second round of funding will close 5pm Tuesday 1 September 2009. Contact the Department's Community Economic Development Manager for your region to discuss your project before submitting an application. It is expected that successful applicants will be notified by January 2010.
Download Small Chambers of Commerce Fund information [PDF]
Download Small Chambers of Commerce fund application form [Word]
Country Halls Renewal Package
This package will provide $2.5 million over 5 years towards renewing country halls. The package will help small communities in country NSW to renovate, extend or upgrade community halls.
The funding application process will be open all year, commencing from 1 January, 2009. Applications can be made to the Office of Rural Affairs by post only. Enquiries can be made on freecall 1800 801 738 or visit the website at www.lands.nsw.gov.au/about_us/ora.
Small Communities Awareness Fund
This fund will provide $450,000 over 5 years to help smaller and more isolated communities develop their own websites to promote local business and tourism opportunities.
The funding application process will be open all year, commencing from 1 January, 2009. Applications can be made to the Office of Rural Affairs by post only. Enquiries can be made on freecall 1800 801 738.
See the media release on the first round of funding under the Small Communities Awareness Fund.
Country Libraries Fund - This fund will provide $9 million over 5 years to help country libraries buy new books and digital media, and pay for building works. To ensure libraries do not need to make multiple applications for funding, the State Library of NSW will allocate the Country Libraries Fund using the existing Library Development Grant process. For more details see the State Library website.