Small and medium businesses in flood impacted towns and villages across the Northern Rivers stand to benefit from a new $9.5 million Towns and Villages Resilient Business Activation Program funded by the NSW Government.
The funding for businesses and local Central Business Districts (CBDs) is being delivered through the NSW Government's Community Restoration Flood Fund to help support the economic recovery of villages and town centres in the Northern Rivers with direct activation and revitalisation projects.
Successful applicants must show how the project will benefit the local community and how it aligns with one or more of the Program's objectives.
Examples of projects that could be funded include repairing or replacing damaged fixed equipment, machinery, or infrastructure needed to keep the business operating or the implementation of flood barriers, elevated foundations, waterproofing, flood resilient doors or windows and drainage systems.
The Program will be delivered across the seven most flood impacted Local Government Areas in the Northern Rivers including Tweed, Byron, Ballina, Lismore, Richmond Valley, Kyogle, and Clarence Valley, with each reporting the highest average damage and other costs for businesses.
Funding is available through two targeted streams:
Stream 1 - Infrastructure support for small and medium sized business with grant amounts from $250,000 to $2 million.
Stream 2 - CBD activation and revitalisation projects delivered by Councils with grant amounts from $50,000 to $500,000.
The NSW Reconstruction Authority has engaged the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development to govern the delivery and management of the Program.
