Image Credit: Pepi Stojanovski
The NSW Sustainable Communities Program Early Investment Round aims to provide $15 million to exposed and vulnerable NSW Basin communities that provide immediate investment-ready economic opportunities. These opportunities include:
Opportunities that stimulate economic activity
provide shared economic benefit
create and support jobs
support local businesses to grow and diversify
deliver new or upgraded infrastructure that contributes to local economic activity and connectivity.
Key Information
Status: Closed 30th April
Grant amount: Between $50,000 (GST exclusive) and $1 million (GST exclusive) for Programs and Initiatives and Capital Investment projects. Between $250,000 (GST exclusive) and $4 million (GST exclusive) for Infrastructure projects.
Application opened: 13 March 2025
The delivery process in relation to the funding will be undertaken via a three-stage process, namely:
Early investment: targeted support for communities exposed and highly vulnerable to the effects of early rounds of water purchasing by the Australian Government. The Early Investment Round closed on 30 April 2025.
Consultation: place-based consultation with exposed Basin communities to understand their priorities and the necessary investments needed to support these communities.
Substantive investment: delivery of multiple streams of support for Basin communities to mitigate adverse socio-economic impacts from water recovery measures. This support will be informed by place-based consultation, available evidence, and aligned with the community adjustment assistance principles set out in the Australian Government’s Restoring Our Rivers Framework.
Further information on the program can be found here: https://www.nsw.gov.au/regional-and-primary-industries/nsw-sustainable-communities-program