Guidelines for Producers and Land Managers
FarmReady ends on 30 June 2012. Reimbursement will not be available for courses completed after 31 May 2012.
To ensure your reimbursement can be paid before the program ends, please submit your Claim Form by Friday 8 June. Applications for pre-approval have now closed.
You can avoid delays by making sure all forms are fully completed and signed, and that your claim includes the invoice and receipt for the course, evidence of completion (a certificate or similar) and receipts for any associated costs you wish to claim.
Who is eligible?
Eligible individual participants include primary producers, wild game harvesters and Indigenous Land Managers. For the purposes of the program:
- Primary producers and wild game harvesters are defined as those who are:
- owner/operators of a primary production enterprise (farming, fishing and forestry), as determined by the Australian Taxation Office
- licensed by a state or territory law to harvest wild game commercially
- in a management position of a primary production enterprise or wild game harvesting enterprise
- the immediate family of the owner/operator of a primary production enterprise or wild game harvesting enterprise.
- Indigenous land managers are defined as those involved in the management decisions for Indigenous lands that are
- zoned for rural purposes, or outside existing control plan areas
and- the land is owned, managed, controlled or operated by an Indigenous community, corporation or trust, or by an Aborigine or Torres Strait Islander.
Reimbursement grants are not available to employees of Commonwealth, State or Local Government departments and agencies involved in primary production, fishing and forestry.
What courses are available?
See the Training Courses section for all courses currently registered under FarmReady.
FarmReady focuses on nine Key Learning Areas which will be reviewed periodically to ensure the program is meeting its objectives.
From July 2011 FarmReady will be expanded to include training courses in agritourism and food tourism as the tenth Key Learning Area.
What’s not covered under FarmReady?
FarmReady does not register, and will not consider for reimbursement:
- ongoing secondary and tertiary education
- one-on-one provision of training
- stand alone technical/operational training activities unless linked to whole of farm climate change strategy
- single issue production management courses unless linked to whole of farm climate change strategy
- specific training activities required to be undertaken to satisfy government regulatory and statutory obligations
- training activities that are cross-subsidised by other government programs or agencies which would provide the opportunity of 'double-dipping' government funding
- overseas training activities of any kind
- domestic conferences, study tours, workshops and other similar activities that do not provide structured and interactive learning activities with clearly defined learning outcomes
- purchase of materials, including software, not part of the course cost. E-learning and correspondence learning courses can be registered if both the developer and deliverer meet training provider requirements
- refresher or similar courses unless it incorporates additional information and research
- if you have undertaken the same course within the last four (4) years it will be deemed 'repeat training' and pre-approval will not be granted
- courses not registered prior to training taking place
- preparation of business plans for farm businesses or new enterprises
- courses completed after 31 May 2012
What can I claim?
Course Costs
A reimbursement grant of up to $1500 is available per person per financial year towards training course costs for participation in FarmReady-registered courses. You can claim up to 65% of what you paid for a course, up to the $1500 per year. Additionally, reimbursement towards associated reasonable costs in attending the training can be claimed. (see below)
A participant can submit a claim for more than one course per financial year, or a course that costs more than $1500, but the reimbursement grant provided will not exceed $1500 in that year. Where costs incurred for a course are greater than $1500 the participant will not be reimbursed for the full cost of attending the course.
Participants must submit invoices and proof of payment (receipts) for all items being claimed.
Associated Costs
The amount that can be reimbursed for associated costs will be capped to a maximum of $500 per person per financial year.
Participants must submit invoices and proof of payment (receipts) for all items except car travel.
Associated reasonable costs that can be reimbursed under FarmReady are:
- Travel by car at the rate per kilometre by vehicle engine size shown on the Claim Form, provided the distance from home to the training venue is more than 150 km one way
- Air travel in economy class at the 'best fare of the day'
- Bus or train travel in an economy seat
- Accommodation where:
- participants need to attend training that is more than 150 km one way from their home and starts before 9.00 am / finishes after 5.00pm
- participants need to attend a specific live-in course
- Meals, capped at a total cost of $100 per day per person.
- Child care, to a maximum amount of $50 per child per day (for up to 2 children) and up to $25 for each additional child upon provision of an itemised receipt (proof of payment) for the care provided, including the name of the carer, number of children, date and hours, rate and total cost.
Note: If you are also receiving Government assistance for child care, you may need to seek advice on whether reimbursement under FarmReady affects your entitlements.
GST and tax considerations
Generally, amounts received by way of grants or subsidies will either be assessable as income under ordinary concepts or as a capital receipt. There may be also be GST implications involved in receipt of the FarmReady Reimbursement Grant.
FarmReady does not consider GST in making reimbursements to eligible participants - if you include the GST in your claim then it will be reimbursed to you, subject to the program's criteria. Applicants are advised to seek advice from a tax professional.
How do I apply?
An Application Form seeking pre-approval to attend a registered course must be completed for each individual participant and submitted to the Program Administrator before the start of the course.
Refer to Frequently Asked Questions for the details.
What do I need to make a claim?
You must be pre-approved before attending the course or you may not be eligible to claim a reimbursement.
The following documents must be submitted to the Program Administrator for each participant wishing to claim a reimbursement within 30 days of completing the course:
- A completed Claim Form (to be completed by the Participant after completing the course)
- Tax invoices and proof of payment (receipt) for each cost to be claimed:
- detailing evidence of course payment, course attendance and completion, course name, course location, training date(s) and time, and participant contact details
- for child care provided
- for travel, accommodation and meal claims
Where the cost of the approved course is paid by the participant’s employer or business, reimbursement for the course cost may be claimed by the employer/business on the participant’s behalf.
Receipts must show that payment has been made by the person/ business to whom the reimbursement is to be paid. Reimbursement cannot be made to third parties.