The Federal Government has awarded grants of up to $20,000 to 551 dairy farming businesses through its Energy Efficient Communities Program, to lower power bills so they can reinvest in their business and employ more people.
The initiative will help dairy farmers to reduce their energy bills by upgrading to more energy efficient equipment such as vacuum pumps, cooling and heating equipment or lighting, investing in monitoring systems to better manage their energy use, or having energy audits done on their operations.
Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction, Angus Taylor, said the government is supporting dairy farmers to invest in energy-saving activities for the benefit of their business and the country.
“Dairy farmers are at the centre of an industry every Australian relies on,” Mr Taylor said.
“The products they produce line our supermarket shelves and fill our fridges.
“With energy a significant cost of doing business in the dairy industry, these grants will help farmers lower their bills and help ensure the long-term viability of their businesses.
“Helping these businesses to cut their power bills by becoming more energy efficient will ease the financial pressures they face while also reducing our emissions. It’s a win-win.”
Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management, David Littleproud, said energy use in milk cooling, milk harvesting and hot water production is one of the highest overheads in the dairy shed, so anything that can be done to reduce costs will help support the financial resilience of these farmers.
“Many businesses are struggling at the moment and dairy farmers, in particular, are continuing to do it tough in the drought and the aftermath of devastating bushfires,” Mr Littleproud said.
“These grants will provide welcome support at a time when so many in the agricultural sector are struggling.
“Dairy farmers are critical to the sustainability of regional Australia so it’s critical that we support their longer-term sustainability.”
The Energy Efficient Communities Program was announced as part of the government’s $3.5 billion Climate Solutions Package to deliver on Australia’s 2030 climate commitments.
The full list of successful applicants for the dairy farming business grants is available on business.gov.au.
