Forestry Transition Fund

⁠⁠⁠Grants of up to $1 million and wage subsidies for businesses and industry groups to expand, diversify or start new businesses.

Overview

The $36 million Forestry Transition Fund supports job creation and business development in or around the native timber communities in Gippsland and the north-east of the state.

Round 1 supports the immediate creation of jobs in towns and communities affected by the Forestry Transition Program, particularly jobs for displaced timber workers.

The fund will support:

• The creation or maintenance of jobs and economic growth with a focus on permanent jobs for displaced native timber workers through:

         expanding existing operations

         establishing new operations

        diversifying operations.

• Business, industry, or community groups, local government authorities, or other organizations to provide enabling infrastructure to activate job-creating projects in the affected towns or communities.

The Transition Fund – Round 1 is being delivered as a contestable funding round in 2 stages:

• Stage 1 - Expression of Interest.
• Stage 2 - Eligible applicants will be invited to submit an application.

Available funding

Grants of up to $1 million and wage subsidies of $20,000 per native timber worker are available.

Approximately $4 million of the $36 million of funding is available through Round 1.

Who can apply

- Private sector businesses

-Business and industry groups including:

• Chambers of commerce and business associations
• Industry peak bodies
• Business and industry clusters and networks (noting that a cluster or network would need to nominate a business or entity to enter into the funding agreement and take on primary responsibility and liability for delivering the project).

Applications to provide infrastructure to ensure Forestry Transition Fund projects can be delivered may be considered from:

• utility and services providers
• water corporations
• Local Government Authorities
• incorporated not-for-profit organisations that operate as a business.

Funded activities

- The types of things that can be funded include:

- The development of new facilities such as factories, offices, or shops, expanding existing facilities or repurposing facilities

• The introduction of new technologies, innovations, plant and equipment, systems, and processes including:
• Skilling up workers
• New utility and service connections and/or upgrades
• Project management activities