Around ten farmers from a diverse range of primary producers in the Rural City of Swan Hill attended a breakfast meeting at Spoons Riverside on Wednesday 11 September to learn about government grants to improve energy efficiency and cut power bills.
Economic Development Coordinator at Swan Hill Rural City Council, Muriel Scholtz, provided an overview of the Agriculture Victoria grant program which offers up to $250,000 to Victorian producers with an annual combined power bill of at least $8,000.
The event was hosted by the Mallee Sun Solar Bulk Buy organiser, the not-for-profit Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance, who is working across the region to help stimulate the uptake of solar power systems amongst households and businesses including farms.
We were delighted by the strong interest from delegates in the grant program,” said Mallee Sun Solar Bulk Buy organiser Jo Kaptein. “Applying for the grant is a two-step process with interested farmers first going through a free energy efficiency assessment organised by Agriculture Victoria. The outcome of the assessment will be a set of recommendations for energy efficiency improvements and possibly also investment in renewable energy like solar.
“The second part of the program is the grant provision,” she said. “This is a really exciting opportunity for farmers in this region to access significant government money to help slash power bills.”
Information about the On-Farm Energy Assessment grant program is available on the Agriculture Victoria website here. Alternatively, if you are interested in learning more, get in touch with the Mallee Sun Solar Bulk Buy team at www.malleesunsolar.org.au or by calling 1300 466 274.
Mallee Sun Solar Bulk Buy is proud to have Swan Hill Rural City Council as a partner.
