Grants of up to $1500 are now available to drought affected farming families and rural small business owners, for direct, practical support, through the State Government’s Rural Support Grant.
Delivered through Rural Business Support (RBS) from the State Government’s Drought Support Package, this assistance offers relief to help cover essentials like council rate, power bills, vehicle repairs and school costs.
The $55m Drought Support Package, which is in addition to the $18m in initial assistance announced in November 2024, brings State Government’s total drought relief investment to $73m.
The grant is delivered via the RBS Relief Fund, the charity arm of RBS, and is designed to help families who are working with the Rural Financial Counselling Service, which helps to meet people where they are, providing practical relief so they can focus on finding a way forward.
The $1500 grants will assist to help cover essential costs such as council rates, utility bills, medical appointments and prescriptions, vehicle repairs, school costs and household needs.
Farming families and rural small and family business owners can click here to start their Rural Financial Counselling journey or by contacting Rural Business Support on 1800 836 211.
The government has also quadrupled the processing team for the On-farm Drought Infrastructure Grants, through a whole-of-government mobilisation effort. This means vital infrastructure support can be delivered more quickly.
Premier Peter Malinauskas said the support package was designed to provide household relief, as well as long term assistance for primary producers across the state.
“This practical assistance ensures our rural communities are not faced with unpaid invoices, skipping medical appointments, giving up on school opportunities, or quietly going without,” he said.
“Helping our farmers who feed our state, get through every day, and plan a way forward through these challenging and dry times is exactly what this program aims to do.”
Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development Clare Scriven said with services available right across the state, the Rural Financial Counselling service and grants have been designed to work alongside our primary producers as they navigate one of the driest years on record.
“Expanding these services to drought affected communities and small businesses owners means more South Australian’s can receive effective and practical support now,” she said.
“The SA Government Rural Support Grant is just one part of this coordinated response – designed to deliver practical, timely support to those who need it most.”
Rural Business Support chief executive Brett Smith welcomed the news.
“We know that rural hardship does not just affect a family – it affects entire communities,” he said.
“When farmers cannot spend in town, small businesses struggle, volunteers are lost to sporting clubs and emergency first responders, like the CFS, as well as school committees. We believe a strong agricultural sector underpins the wellbeing of every South Australian.
“That’s why our support is not just about getting through today – it’s about helping people rebuild tomorrow. We’re grateful to the State Government for listening closely to farmers and rural communities through targeted drought round tables and industry focus groups to provide this additional support.
“Before farmers can recover from disaster and build resilience, we aim to create hope by providing practical relief through the RBS Relief Fund – when we can assist to create stability in the home, farming families have the breathing space to navigate what comes next.”
