New South Wales Consolidated Acts

RURAL ASSISTANCE ACT 1989 - SECT 18

18 Programs of assistance

(1) The Authority may establish programs for the grant of assistance to farmers and other persons engaged in rural industries, for the following purposes:

(a) increasing the level of investment in sustainable land and water management practices,

(b) increasing the level of investment in self-preparedness measures that assist them in responding to adjustment pressures and industry downturns,

(c) ensuring the availability of short-term assistance in times of natural disaster,

(d) such other purposes in connection with the carrying on of farming operations or rural industries as the Minister may from time to time determine to be appropriate to be the subject of a program of assistance under this Act.

(2) Under such a program the Authority may grant assistance for any one or more of the following purposes:

(a) effecting permanent improvements to a farm (including fencing, fodder or grain storage facilities, stockyards and water supplies of a minor nature),

(b) effecting production improvements to a farm (including pasture improvement, fodder conservation and stock improvement),

(c) providing relief to a person who is, in the opinion of the Authority, in urgent and genuine need of assistance due to losses suffered through natural disaster,

(d) such other purposes as the Minister may from time to time determine.

(3) Without limiting the generality of subsection (2) (c), assistance may be provided under that paragraph for the following purposes:

(a) replacing lost or damaged farm improvements and stock,

(b) enabling farming operations to continue,

(c) providing fodder,

(d) such other purposes (including any purposes for which assistance may be granted under subsection (2) (a), (b) or (d)) as the Minister may from time to time determine.

(4) Before determining that a grant of assistance to a farmer or person engaged in a rural industry be made, the Authority must consider the principles of ecologically sustainable development described in section 6 (2) of the Protection of the Environment Administration Act 1991 .