Murray-Darling Basin Economic Development Grants Program

Overview

The Australian Government is inviting applications via an open competitive process to deliver projects under the Murray-Darling Basin Economic Development Grants Program in eligible Murray-Darling Basin communities. The program was announced by the Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources on 7 May 2018, as part of the Basin Plan Commitments Package, to support those communities identified as most impacted by water recovery under the Basin Plan. The Australian Government has committed up to $20 million to this program to support economic development projects in eligible Basin communitiesfrom 2018-19 to 2021-22. The department has identified five communities in the northern Basin and ten communities in the southern Basin as communities eligible for funding as those most impacted by water recovery activities under the Basin Plan. The Program will assist eligible communities to undertake economic development projects to respond to the impact of water recovery activities under the Basin Plan. The outputs of the program are the number of jobs created as a result of the economic development projects and the number of projects supporting activities that continue after projects end. The economic development projects would assist with: increasing the capacity of communities to diversify and strengthen local economies enhancing the resilience of communities to manage current and future economic challenges and changes increasing opportunities for employment within communities.