This regulation may be cited as the Rural and Regional Adjustment (Irrigation Pricing Rebate Scheme and Other Matters) Amendment Regulation 2025.
This regulation amends the Rural and Regional Adjustment Regulation 2011.
3Amendment of sch 2, s 1 (Definitions for sch 2)
Schedule 2, section 1—
insert—chief executive means the chief executive of the department in which the Fisheries Act 1994 is administered.
4Amendment of sch 4, s 7 (Eligibility criteria)
Schedule 4, section 7(4)—
insert—department means the department in which the Fisheries Act 1994 is administered.
5Amendment of sch 5, s 7 (Eligibility criteria)
Schedule 5, section 7(4)—
insert—department means the department in which the Fisheries Act 1994 is administered.
6Amendment of sch 15, s 13 (Applications)
Schedule 15, section 13(1)(a)—
omit, insert—(a)given to the authority either—(i)on or before 30 June 2025; or(ii)during the period starting on 14 November 2025 and ending on 30 June 2026; and
7Amendment of sch 30, s 4 (Eligible professional advice)
Schedule 30, section 4—
insert—(4)In this section—Minister means the Minister administering the Fisheries Act 1994.
8Amendment of sch 33, s 7 (Other definitions for schedule)
Schedule 33, section 7—
insert—department means the department in which the Fisheries Act 1994 is administered.
9Amendment of sch 39, s 7 (Eligibility criteria)
Schedule 39, section 7(3)—
insert—department means the department in which the Fisheries Act 1994 is administered.
10Amendment of sch 40, s 9 (Eligibility criteria)
Schedule 40, section 9(3)—
insert—department means the department in which the Fisheries Act 1994 is administered.
11Amendment of sch 59, s 3 (Definitions)
Schedule 59, section 3—
insert—chief executive means the chief executive of the department in which the Fisheries Act 1994 is administered.
12Amendment of sch 61, s 3 (Definitions for schedule)
Schedule 61, section 3—
insert—chief executive means the chief executive of the department in which the Fisheries Act 1994 is administered.
After schedule 63—
insert—section 3(1)
The objective of the scheme is to make the irrigation of crops more affordable for particular persons.The purpose of financial assistance under the scheme is to give particular persons rebates to offset the cost of water supplied by a water supplier.In this schedule—applicant means a person applying for financial assistance under the scheme.Burnett Water means Burnett Water Pty Ltd ACN 097 206 614.eligible irrigation bill means an invoice that—(a)is issued by a water supplier; and(b)contains a charge related to the supply of water for a period in the 2025–2026 financial year or the 2026–2027 financial year.irrigation entity means each of the following entities—(a)Eton Irrigation Cooperative Ltd ABN 29 615 812 505;(b)Fairbairn Irrigation Network Ltd ACN 615 973 754;(c)Kelsey Creek Water Cooperative Ltd ABN 35 447 172 508;(d)Lower Burdekin Water ABN 42 671 751 039;(e)Mallawa Irrigation Ltd ACN 616 181 741;(f)Pioneer Valley Water Co-operative Ltd ABN 55 322 373 770;(g)Six Mile Creek Irrigators Cooperative Ltd ABN 72 357 195 179;(h)Theodore Water Pty Ltd ACN 615 708 944.owner, of a business, means each of the following individuals—(a)if the business is operated by a sole trader—the sole trader;(b)if the business is operated by a partnership, company or trust—a partner in the partnership, a shareholder in the company or a beneficiary of the trust.qualifying business see section 4.scheme means the scheme set out in this schedule.Seqwater means the Queensland Bulk Water Supply Authority ABN 75 450 239 876 established under the South East Queensland Water (Restructuring) Act 2007.Sunwater means Sunwater Ltd ACN 131 034 985.water supplier means—(a)Burnett Water; or(b)Seqwater; or(c)Sunwater.4Meaning of qualifying business
(1)A business is a qualifying business if—(a)the business involves growing crops that require irrigation from time to time; and(b)the business is not—(i)operated by—(A)an excluded entity; or(B)an entity owned wholly or partly by an excluded entity; or(ii)owned wholly or partly by an excluded entity; and(c)the entity operating the business has an Australian Business Number for the business; and(d)at least 1 owner of the business spends labour on the business; and(e)the entity operating the business, or at least 1 owner of the business, declares assessable primary production income.(2)In this section—assessable primary production income see the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (Cwlth), section 392-80(2).excluded entity means each of the following entities—(a)an entity operating a managed investment scheme within the meaning of the Corporations Act;(b)a foreign company within the meaning of the Corporations Act;(c)a public company within the meaning of the Corporations Act;(d)a registrable superannuation entity within the meaning of the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 (Cwlth).5Nature and amount of assistance
(1)The nature of financial assistance available under the scheme is a rebate to offset the cost of water supplied by a water supplier.(2)The amount of the assistance is 15% of the amount paid for an eligible irrigation bill to the extent the amount is for a charge related to the supply of water for a period in the 2025–2026 financial year or the 2026–2027 financial year.(1)An applicant is eligible to receive financial assistance under the scheme if the authority is satisfied—(a)the applicant is—(i)an irrigation entity; or(ii)an owner of a qualifying business; and(b)the applicant or the qualifying business, or a pass-on entity for the business, has been issued an eligible irrigation bill; and(c)the eligible irrigation bill has been paid in full; and(d)the applicant, or another owner of the qualifying business, has not already received assistance under the scheme for the eligible irrigation bill.(2)In this section—pass-on entity, for a qualifying business, means an entity that—(a)has an arrangement with another entity operating the business; and(b) is issued an eligible irrigation bill payable by the other entity under the arrangement.The scheme closes on the earlier of the following days—(a)31 December 2027;(b)the day on which the authority’s assistance funds for the scheme become insufficient to pay further assistance under the scheme.8Requirements for applications
(1)An application for financial assistance under the scheme must—(a)be made in the form approved by the authority; and(b)be accompanied by—(i)a copy of the eligible irrigation bill the subject of the application; and(ii)a document showing the payment of the eligible irrigation bill; and(iii)for an applicant other than an irrigation entity—a declaration or other documentary evidence about whether the applicant is an owner of a qualifying business; and(iv)the other documents stated in the form approved by the authority; and(c)be given to the authority no later than 31 December 2027.(2)More than 1 eligible irrigation bill may be the subject of an application.(3)If the authority asks the applicant to give further information to decide the application, the applicant must give the authority the information.(4)If the applicant does not comply with a request made by the authority under subsection (3), the applicant’s application is taken to be withdrawn.(1)The authority must consider, and decide to approve or refuse to approve, each application for financial assistance under the scheme that complies with section 8.(2)The authority must approve an application if the authority is satisfied the applicant is eligible for assistance under section 6.(3)However, the authority must refuse to approve an application if the authority’s assistance funds for the scheme are insufficient to pay for the assistance applied for in the application.(4)If the authority refuses to approve an application, the authority must give the applicant written notice of the decision.(5)The authority must decide applications in the order they are received by the authority.(6)The authority may seek the advice of persons with suitable qualifications and experience to help the authority in deciding an application.(7)The authority may, with the agreement of the applicant, approve an amount of assistance that is less than the amount applied for.(1)The payment of financial assistance under the scheme to an owner of a qualifying business for an eligible irrigation bill is subject to the condition stated in subsection (2).(2)The owner of the qualifying business must, before receiving the assistance, give written consent for the authority to give the water supplier that issued the eligible irrigation bill the following details—(a)a statement that the authority is satisfied the owner is the owner of a qualifying business;(b)the name of the business;(c)the customer reference number in the eligible irrigation bill.