Grants of up to $1,500 are now available to drought affected farming families and rural small business owners, for direct, practical support, through the SA Government’s Rural Support Grant.
Delivered through Rural Business Support (RBS) from the state government’s Drought Support Package, this assistance offers relief to help cover essentials such as council rates, power bills, vehicle repairs and school costs.
“This practical assistance ensures our rural communities aren’t faced with unpaid invoices, skipping medical appointments, giving up on school opportunities, or quietly going without,” said SA Premier Peter Malinauskas.
The $1,500 grants will assist to help cover essential costs such as:
- Council rates
- Utility bills
- Medical appointments and prescriptions
- Vehicle repairs
- School costs and household needs
SA’s Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Clare Scriven, said that the expansion of these services was designed to help the state’s drought affected communities to receive “effective and practical support”, now.
“With services available right across our state, the Rural Financial Counselling service and grants have been designed to work alongside our primary producers as they navigate one of the driest years on record,” said Scriven.
The grant is delivered via the RBS Relief Fund, the charity arm of RBS, and is designed to help families who are working with the Rural Financial Counselling Service, to provide practical relief so they can focus on finding a way forward.
Brett Smith, CEO of Rural Business Support, explained that the RBS services were not just there to help people through the day-to-day, but to help them rebuild for the future.
“We know that rural hardship doesn’t just affect a family—it affects entire communities,” said Smith. “When farmers can’t spend in town, small businesses struggle, volunteers are lost to sporting clubs and emergency first responders, like the CFS, as well as school committees. We believe a strong agricultural sector underpins the wellbeing of every South Australian.
“Before farmers can recover from disaster and build resilience, we aim to create hope by providing practical relief through the RBS Relief Fund—when we can assist to create stability in the home, farming families have the breathing space to navigate what comes next.”
The state government has also quadrupled the processing team for the On-farm Drought Infrastructure Grants, through a whole-of-government mobilisation effort, meaning that infrastructure support can be delivered more quickly.
Farming families and rural small and family business owners can start their Rural Financial Counselling journey by contacting Rural Business Support on 1800 836 211 or by visiting https://www.ruralbusinesssupport.org.au/
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