Recovery grants for tourism operators in Far North Queensland
Grants of up to $50,000 are now available for medium to large tourism operators impacted by Cycle Jasper in December.
Grants can be used for clean-up, repair and re-establishment of operations related to damage caused by the cyclone and the heavy rain which followed it.
Tourism businesses located in the local government areas of Cairns, Douglas, Tablelands, Cassowary Coast, Hope Vale, Wujal Wujal, Cook, Mareeba and Yarrabah are all eligible to apply for funding through a Tourism Recovery Assistance grant.
Applications opened on January 25 and will close on March 31, 2024, or when the $1.6 million of available funding is exhausted.
“This $1.6m will help hard-hit Far North tourism businesses – with between 20 to 200 full time equivalent employees – to recover from the recent disaster,” said Queensland’s tourism minister, Michael Healy.
“Operators who suffered direct damage to their business can apply for a $50,000 grant to pay tradies, fix buildings, and hire or buy equipment.”
Regional tourism grants in Victoria
The Victorian Government has opened the latest round of its Enabling Tourism Fund, with up to $8 million in funding available.
The fund will offer grants of between $20,000 and $500,000 to prepare major regional tourism projects for investment.
Grants support feasibility studies, business cases and master plans in one stream of funding, and materials to ready a project for investment in the second stream, including detailed design packages, funding strategies and stakeholder and community engagement plans.
The funding will prioritise projects that include First Peoples-led experiences, wellness, arts and culture, food and drink and nature.
”Regional tourism projects attract visitors and jobs, but first they have to attract investment – and that’s where this funding comes in,” said Victoria’s tourism, sport and major events minister, Steve Dimopoulos.
Applications for the Enabling Tourism Fund will close on March 28, 2024.
Council funding for street events in NSW
In NSW, local councils can apply for up to $150,000 to facilitate street closures for events.
Applications are open now for the state government’s Open Streets Program and will close on April 30, 2024, or when the $4.5 million funding allocation is exhausted.
Alongside the Open Streets Program, the NSW Government is also streamlining the process to hold events in public spaces throughout the state.
“Open Streets provides an opportunity for councils, local businesses and creatives to work together and play a part in invigorating and making the most of their local streets,” said the state’s roads minister John Graham.
“These grants combined with the government’s regulatory reform will cut costs associated with street events.”
Events for which road closures are sought must be free to the public, support local businesses and be held by January 2025.
