The Hodgman Liberal Government’s $750 000 On-Farm Energy Program will be expanded to include grants of up to $20 000 for new energy efficient infrastructure.
Under the revised scheme farmers can receive dollar-for-dollar contributions for infrastructure such as irrigation pumps, lighting, insulation, solar panels, solar powered battery storage, or ventilation, heating or cooling equipment.
This builds on the original scheme which provided funding for energy and irrigation audits of on-farm activities to now include help to cover the cost of new equipment recommended by an audit.
Farmers can still access funding for energy and irrigation audits as part of this overall $20 000 cap on a two-to-one basis to receive expert advice to identify energy saving opportunities on their farm and support their capital investment application.
With more than a quarter of Tasmania’s land area committed to agriculture we need to get right behind our farmers to support our farming future.
The food sector in Tasmania is now worth a combined $4.1 billion, with 76 per cent of production sold interstate or overseas, so saving money for our farmers will help us reach our target boosting the value of agricultural in Tasmania to $10 billion by 2050.
The Hodgman Liberal Government is committed to its Tasmania-First Energy Policy, with the target of achieving the lowest regulated power prices in the country by 2022 and to be fully self-sufficient with renewable energy in the same timeframe.
For more information on the On-farm Energy Audit and Capital Grant Program go to www.stategrowth.tas.gov.au