Maranoa MP David Littleproud has secured a $100,000 boost for dairy farmers in Maranoa through the Australian Government’s Energy Efficient Communities Program, helping dairy farmers to lower their power bills, reinvest in their business and create jobs.
“I am pleased to see 8 dairy farming businesses in Maranoa have been awarded grants up to $20,000 through the Government’s Energy Efficient Communities Program,” Mr Littleproud said.
“Dairy farmers are at the center of an industry every Australian relies on, and these grants will help local farmers lower their bills and help ensure the long-term viability of their businesses.
“Energy use in milk cooling, milk harvesting and hot water production is one of the highest overheads in the dairy shed, so anything that can be done to reduce costs will help support the financial resilience of these farmers.
“The funding will help dairy farmers upgrade to more energy efficient equipment such as vacuum pumps, cooling and heating equipment or lighting, investing in monitoring systems to better manage their energy use, or having energy audits done on their operations.
“Many businesses are struggling at the moment and dairy farmers, in particular, are continuing to do it tough in the drought, so these grants will provide welcome support at a time when so many in the agricultural sector are struggling.”
Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor said the Government is supporting dairy farmers to invest in energy-saving activities for the benefit of their business and the country.
“With energy a significant cost of doing business in the dairy industry, these grants will help farmers lower their bills and help ensure the long-term viability of their businesses,” Minister Taylor said.
“Helping these businesses to cut their power bills by becoming more energy efficient will ease the financial pressures they face while also reducing our emissions. It’s a win-win.”
The Energy Efficient Communities Program was announced as part of the Government’s $3.5 billion Climate Solutions Package to deliver on Australia’s 2030 climate commitments.
