I’M excited about the opportunities for the Far North that will come from the recently-announced Building Better Regions Fund (BBRF), through creating jobs, driving economic growth and building stronger regional communities into the future.
The good news is that BBRF, worth $297 million over four years, is a regional fund and projects from the major capital cities will not be eligible to apply.
There are two streams of funding:
- The Infrastructure Projects Stream will invest in projects that involve the construction of new infrastructure, or upgrade or extension of existing infrastructure that provide economic and social benefits to regional and remote areas.
- The Community Investments Stream will invest in local events and activities, strategic regional plans and leadership and capability building activities that provide economic and social benefits to regional and remote communities.
Projects of similar size will compete against each other, so small community projects are not up against huge projects from major councils for example.
If you have an investment-ready project, I strongly encourage you to apply. This is a great programme that could deliver enormous benefits for the Far North.
Programme guidelines and further information can be found at www.business.gov.au/bbrf or by contacting my office.