June 23, 2020
Dairy farmers can now apply for Federal Government grants that will support them to make their energy use more efficient.
Grants of up to $20,000 will be available through the Energy Efficient Communities Program for a dairy farming business to upgrade equipment to reduce energy consumption, invest in monitoring systems to better manage energy use, and conduct energy audits to investigate other opportunities for energy-efficient activities.
Energy use in milking, milk cooling and hot water production are some of the highest overheads in the dairy industry.
Agriculture Minister David Littleproud said these could cost dairy farmers as much as $12,800 per 100 cows each year.
He said dairy farming businesses were a huge asset to regional economies and the program would assist them to reduce costs and become more energy efficient.
“These grants will provide financial support at a time when so many in the dairy industry are struggling. Supporting the long-term sustainability of our dairy farmers is critical to the sustainability of regional Australia and our food security,” Mr Littleproud said.
The Energy Efficient Communities Program was announced as part of the Federal Government’s Climate Solutions Package in the 2019 Federal Budget; $10 million has been made specifically available for the dairy round.
Funding will be available in each State, in proportion to the number of dairy farms.
Grant guidelines and application forms are available online. Applications close on August 17.
