Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee, , 5:44:48 to 5:50:23
A detailed breakdown of applications and funding for farm business transition and supply chain capacity programs within the sheep industry package.
Topics: Agricultural productivity, Exports
Speakers: Speaker 32, Speaker 13, Speaker 20
>> Yeah. So Senator, good afternoon. Joe Granger, assistant secretary. Uh, so for farm business transition program, we received a total of 201 applications and that included 10 late >> Sorry, can you slow down? Sorry. 200
>> 201 applications. >> 201. >> Yes. Right. >> And uh do you have an average amount?
>> Um, so we had approximately 60% of applicants sought the full $75,000. Obviously 40% did not. And the average amount of grant funding applied for was $62,946.
So correct me if I'm getting a decimal place wrong, but that's applicants of a value of about 120 million for a $30 million program.
>> Uh, >> am I getting that wrong? >> No, Senator, not quite. Um, so, uh, at 75,000 it's approximately with 200 applicants, it's approximately about $15 million being sought, okay, by businesses.
And >> there'll be a second round to that program as well, Senator.
>> Uh, what's been the lowest amount for a grant application? >> Uh, Senator, I don't have that figure. I could take that on notice. >> And the highest is basically the maximum, 75. >> Yeah. In terms of the applications received, um is there any broad trends in what the money is being asked for to be used for?
>> Look, Senator, um there was a very broad range of activity that farmers could apply for and we specifically made it as broad as possible so that it was up to farm businesses about the way they wanted to invest and make some changes in their on business practice. Uh so you could apply for infrastructure investment, for practice change, for upgrading pasture, for upgrading water. Um you could train staff uh a whole range of different activities. Um it does appear the majority of farmers are applying for one or more of those activities in their business.
>> So the supply chain capacity program this is $40 million program. >> Yeah. >> Now how what's the what's the basis on which entities can apply under that program?
So Senator that is an infrastructure program very much focused uh earlier in the package it was focused only at processing sector um but following the codeesign where where we received very strong feedback um from the supply chain that there was a broad interest for producers to also access that fund minister Collins made that decision and uh so there's effectively two streams producers uh can apply for up to $2 million of funding under that fund anywhere from $50,000 to $2 million for onfarmm finishing, feed loting and infrastructure associated. And then the producer, oh, sorry, the processes and supply chain can apply for 50,000 up to $5 million. And that's for a whole range of things like expanding the capacity of their processing sector perhaps um expanding leverage and a range of ancillary uh types of support to
>> and and has the 40 million been broken out into two buckets.
>> So there there are two rounds. $20 million is available in round one and we do expect the announcement very shortly from WA of um of the outcome of that
first round. >> And do you know how many I know this is a state government controlled package but do you know how many applicants have
been received? >> So there were several hundred applications received for that program senator um uh from from all elements of the industry so both from the production
side and the processing side. Um do we know how many of those roughly were received from producers versus other parts of the supply chain?
>> Uh well with that number you would you you wouldn't be surprised to understand that the larger proportion of applications came from producers. >> Y
>> and do we have any breakdown within that? um or perhaps take this on notice. Uh the average amount applied for under each bucket and has anybody applied for the maximum
amount? Uh Senator there you won't be surprised to hear of course there are there are applications particularly from the processes um for the full amount
>> um uh processes can go up to 5 million though that's correct >> correct >> yes so you've got people at that highest
level >> yes and I I believe uh processes have been discussing this publicly senator
Uh so the the uh livestock transport industry transition program uh limit of $40,000 requiring matching co-contribution. How many applicants were received?
>> We received 22 applications. >> 22. And the average amount >> uh I let me just see that Senator I'll have to take that one on notice,
Senator.
So um >> but I think it's fair to say the the bulk of applications would have been at the higher level >> for the full uh amount.
>> Could I have the um yeah the average amount of the applications please? And how many applied at the highest level? Um,