The NSW Liberal and Nationals Government has committed a further $2 million to help keep dairy farmers and their livestock safe when crossing busy roadways.
Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Sam Farraway said the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government made the decision to extend the scheme following positive feedback from dairy farmers after the first round.
“Our Government understands the importance of our $647 million dairy industry to the state’s economy. That’s why we’re further investing in this scheme to help dairy farmers protect their cattle and protect their livelihood,” Mr Farraway said.
“An underpass means dairy farmers can move their livestock safely between paddocks that are separated by a road, keeping cows off that road and keeping motorists safe.
“The additional $2 million builds on our election commitment of $3 million in 2015 which saw over seven projects, including underpasses and warning lights, funded, all of which have been completed.”
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Minister for Agriculture and Western NSW Dugald Saunders said the latest round requires a co-contribution from dairy producers to assist with construction costs of an underpass.
“We know that dairy farmers in NSW have had it tough over the last few years, with drought and flood posing significant challenges,” Mr Saunders said.
“That’s why the NSW Liberal and Nationals have amended the guidelines so dairy farmers in any disaster declared LGA since 2019 will be eligible for up to 70 per cent of related underpass costs.
“Underpasses increase productivity and make life much easier for our cattle farmers, so I’m thrilled to see this latest round of funding announced.”
Grants are available for 50% of the cost of an underpass, up to a maximum of $100,000 plus GST (previously $70k) and for 50% of the cost of signs and flashing lights, up to a maximum of $20,000 plus GST (previously $10k).
eastAUSmilk Co-CEO Shaughn Morgan said the industry will appreciate this announcement.
“There is no doubt that dairy farmers have been some of the worst affected by the floods we’ve seen over the past year, and we still have a long road to recovery ahead of us,” Mr Morgan said.
“It’s positive to see ongoing support from the NSW Government; announcements like these remind us that we are not alone in this recovery process.”
Chair of the NSW Dairy Industry Action Plan Rob Cooper said he was pleased to see the additional support from government for this essential program to assist dairy farmers effected by road crossings near their farms.
“Many dairy farmers across the state need to move stock across roads every day to get to milking facilities – not only do cattle underpasses save them time, they also reduce the risk of any accidents and provide more safety to our farmers.”
