The Hon Sussan Ley MP, Minister for the Environment
The Hon Matt Kean, Treasurer, Minister for Energy and Environment
Waste and recycling projects supporting regional and remote NSW are now eligible to share in up to $7 million of Australian Government funding made available nationwide under the Recycling Modernisation Fund.
The grants are co-funded in NSW by the NSW Government's Remanufacture NSW program, and available nationally as part of the Australian Government's Recycling Modernisation Fund.
Grants are available for between $10,000 and $1,000,000 and successful NSW projects will be co-funded by both Governments and the private sector and local government.
Federal Minister for the Environment Sussan Ley said the Commonwealth wants to tackle a lack of recycling opportunities in many regional and remote areas, particularly for glass, tyres plastic and paper.
"We have already funded 23 RMF projects nationally in regional and remote communities but the reality is that these areas face some unique recycling challenges," Ms Ley said.
"We are seeking projects that provide local solutions to local problems, that increase local employment, provide economic benefit, and solve transport logistics complexities."
NSW Treasurer and Environment Minister Matt Kean said these grants build upon the success of Remanufacture NSW Round 1, which awarded $24.15 million in funding to projects earlier this year to create jobs and increase the state's recycling capacity by an estimated 120,000 tonnes annually.
"Round one grants included some great rural and regional initiatives, including an end to end plastics manufacturing plant in Taree and a glass MICROfactorieTM facility at Shoalhaven," Mr Kean said.
"This funding provides a great opportunity for rural and regional communities to boost recycling capacity and contribute to our target to achieve an 80% average recovery rate across all waste streams by 2030."
Small and medium businesses, not-for-profits, councils, community groups and Traditional Custodians across rural and regional NSW to apply for funding for projects that improve waste management, processing or sorting capabilities.
Applications to the Remanufacture NSW: Regional and Remote Recycling Modernisation Fund are open from 8 November 2021 to 6 December 2021. The application form and guidelines can be downloaded from the Environmental Trust website.
