On-Farm Drought Support
South west Victorian farmers impacted by the current drought conditions can now apply for on-farm grants to help manage and withstand current seasonal conditions and prepare their businesses for the future.
The On-Farm Drought Infrastructure Grants Program will provide financial assistance to farmers managing current drought conditions and build farm business preparedness and resilience for the future.
Eligible farmers can apply for co-contribution grants of up to $5,000 for on-farm improvements including water infrastructure upgrades, stock containment areas, grain and fodder storage and drought management tools.
The $12.1 million grants program is open to farmers in Local Government Areas in the south west that have been most severely impacted by ongoing drought conditions.
These Local Government Areas include Glenelg, Southern Grampians, Warrnambool, Moyne, Corangamite, Colac Otway, Surf Coast, Ararat, Pyrenees, Golden Plains and Greater Geelong, as well as the southern half of West Wimmera Shire.
These grants are part of a $13.53 million Drought Support Package which also includes a $1.43 million investment in farmer wellbeing, technical decision-making advice and a dedicated Regional Drought Coordinator who will help ensure support is reaching those who need it.
The grants build on the existing support services available for farmers including the Rural Financial Counselling Service, The National Centre for Farmer Health, farmer workshops, field days and practical information on the Agriculture Victoria website.
To attend an upcoming drop-in session being held across the south-west visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/dryseasons or phone 136 186.
For more information on the On-Farm Drought Infrastructure Grants Program, including the specific areas of eligibility, visit ruralfinance.com.au or call them on 1800 260 425 during business hours.
Updated information as at 15 May 2025
The Victorian Government is providing further support to farmers across Victoria impacted by drought and difficult seasonal conditions.
The new $15.9m package extends the $13.5m drought support package announced by the Premier and Agriculture Minister on 30 September 2024. The new funding includes:
- Statewide mental health and wellbeing support through ‘Look Over the Farm Gate’
- Statewide technical decision-making support both in one-on-one and group formats
- Continued On-Farm Drought Infrastructure Grants for the existing 11 Local Government Areas (LGAs) across south west Victoria and expansion to all West Wimmera, Horsham Rural City, Northern Grampians, Hepburn, Moorabool, Ballarat, Towong, Mornington Peninsula, Bass Coast, Cardinia, Baw Baw, Casey, South Gippsland, and French Island.
- Small business financial counselling in south west Victoria
- Extension of the South West Regional Drought Coordinator
These escalated supports build on programs that are always available to Victorian farm businesses across the state, year-round. These include:
- Agriculture Victoria’s Farm Business Resilience Program
- Rural Financial Counselling Service
- Farm Household Allowance
- Regional Investment Corporation loans
These supports are accessible at any time and can be found at Resource directory | Recovery resources and events | Fire, floods and storms | Emergency management | Farm management | Agriculture Victoria
For further information on the Victorian Governments Drought Support Package and more information on the package as it becomes available, please visit https://agriculture.vic.gov.au/farm-management/dry-seasons-and-drought-support
A media release from the Premier of Victoria on this information can be found at the following link: Backing-Farmers-with-more-drought-support.pdf(PDF, 203KB)
Victorian Farmers Federation