Grants are offered to small business and households who would like assistance in their quest to become more sustainable and climate change friendly. If you are a small business owner or some one who wants more information on assistance and grants to aid your Pathway to Sustainability please click on each link for more information. The information contained below is also available on the Programs to Assist Your Business factsheet.
Ecobiz
Overview:
What sets the ecoBiz program apart from other eco-efficiency tools, is that it provides the user with a simple methodology for defining resource costs in terms of units of production. This assists a business to prioritise areas for improvement, and enables accurate calculations of payback periods.
Low Carbon Diet Community Funding Program
Overview:
To help Queenslanders reduce their carbon footprint the government is offering interested groups the Low Carbon Diet program, which provides information and resources to help Queenslanders to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to the global climate change solution.
The goal is to have at least 500 000 Queenslanders take action to reduce their carbon emissions by 2010.
Queensland Sustainable Energy Innovation Fund
Overview:
To assist Queensland based organisations to develop innovative technologies that reduce consumption of fossil fuels, water or greenhouse gas emissions.
Home and Garden Water Wise Rebate Scheme
Overview:
The Home WaterWise Rebate Scheme, which offers cash rebates for the purchase of water-saving devices was introduced in two stages:
Green Building Fund
Overview:
The Green Building Fund initiative ($90m - over 4 years) will be designed to help Australian businesses implement cost saving energy efficiency measures through retrofitting and retro-commissioning of existing commercial office buildings.
Caring for Our Country: Reef Rescue Water Quality Grants
Overview:
Reef Rescue’s aim is to improve the water quality of the Great Barrier Reef lagoon by increasing the uptake of land management practices that reduce the run-off of nutrients, pesticides and sediments from agricultural land.
Climate Change Adjustment Program
Overview:
Assistance for primary producers to manage the impacts of climate change is available through a number of programs. The Climate Change Adjustment Program (CCAP) is part of Australia’s Farming Future and will assist primary producers adapt and adjust to the impacts of climate change. The CCAP will assist primary producers in financial difficulty, which are or are likely to be adversely impacted by climate change or drought, in obtaining professional advice, training and re-establishment grants.
Environmental Taxation Concessions
Overview:
The Department of the Environment and Heritage has responsibility for a number of administrative arrangements relating to taxation concessions that seek to conserve and protect the natural environment. These are:
Eureka Prize (Innovative Solutions to Climate Change)
Overview:
The IAG Eureka Prize for Innovative Solutions to Climate Change is designed to highlight outstanding work by an Australian individual, group or organisation that demonstrates a commitment to pursuing innovative solutions to the challenges of climate change. This work may be research; development of new technologies or practices; new markets, products or services; or advocacy that addresses the challenges of climate change.
Re-Toolling for Climate Change
Overview:
The Re-Tooling for Climate Change program will be targeted at assisting Australian manufacturers improve their production processes, reduce their energy use and cut carbon emissions. $75 million will be provided through this program over four years. Australian manufacturers will be able to apply for grants for initiatives such as investing in energy efficient manufacturing tools, small scale cogeneration plants and water recycling.
Renewable Energy Water Pumping
Overview:
REWP is a sub-program of the Renewable Remote Power Generation Program (RRPGP) that provides rebates for business, government and other incorporated organisations, to support the installation of renewable energy water pumping systems in those areas of Australia far from a main-grid. The sub-program aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by decreasing reliance on diesel fuel for remote water pumping applications. Rebates are provided for the renewable energy components of water pumps that displace diesel engine powered pumps in off-grid applications.
Renewable Energy Water Pumping
Overview:
The RM Renewable Energy Systems is a sub-program of the Renewable Remote Power Generation Programme (RRPGP). It provides rebates for households, communities, not-for-profit, business, government and other organisations, in those areas of Australia far from a main grid, to support the installation of renewable generation systems (where existing RRPGP sub-programs are not available). Rebates of up to 50 per cent of the capital cost of renewable generation and essential enabling equipment are available. Rebates are available for both new systems and for renewable generation additions to existing systems. An applicant may apply more than once but all eligibility requirements must be met for rebates to apply.
Smart Energy Savings Fund
Overview:
The SESF is a $50 million investment by the Queensland Government to assist Queensland's small and medium enterprise energy users to invest in commercial energy saving projects. The funding program provides support to Queensland businesses to implement energy efficient technologies in buildings, appliances and industrial processes. The SESF will be provided as secured concessional loans for up to 100 per cent of the project’s capital value or as a grant of up to 50 per cent of the project’s capital value.
Solar Bonus Scheme
Overview:
The Queensland Government Solar Bonus Scheme is a program that pays domestic and other small energy customers for the surplus electricity generated from roof-top solar photovoltaic (PV) systems that is exported to the Queensland grid. The scheme rewards customers whenever they generate more electricity than they are using - not just the balance at the end of the quarter, but whenever generation exceeds consumption during the day. The scheme is designed to boost the state’s use of renewable energy, encourage energy efficiency and stimulate the solar power industry in Queensland. Customers participating in the scheme will be paid 44 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) for surplus electricity fed into the grid.
Education for Sustainability Grants Program
Overview:
The objective of the Education for Sustainability Grants Program is to support projects that either directly or indirectly facilitate changes in community attitudes and behaviour in support of sustainable development. Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) aims to equip individuals, organisations and communities to deal effectively with the complex and inter-related environmental, social and economic challenges they encounter in their personal and working lives, in a way that protects the interests of current and future generations.
Climate Smart Home Service
Overview:
The purpose of this service is to offer various energy saving audits which will help to reduce the carbon footprint. A fee of $50 is payable upon completion of the audit. The services include: energy audit, wireless energy meter installed, low flow shower head installed, 15 CFL bulbs
Solar Hot Water Rebate
Overview:
The Australian Government is offering a rebate of $1,600 to install a solar hot water system or $1,000 to install a heat pump hot water system. This is to help eligible home-owners, landlords or tenants to replace their electric storage hot water systems with solar or heat pump hot water systems. This offer is part of the Government's Energy Efficient Homes Package which came into effect on 3 February 2009.
The Solar Hot Water Rebate will help people save money on their power bills and reduce their household's greenhouse gas emissions. Water heating is the largest single source of greenhouse gas emissions from the average Australian home, accounting for around 25 per cent of home energy use (excluding the family car).
Installing a climate friendly hot water system can save a family up to $700 off their energy bills each year.
Home Insulation Rebate
Overview:
The Home Insulation Program offers ceiling insulation worth up to $1,600 to owner-occupiers, landlords and tenants.
The program targets homes that are currently uninsulated, or have very little ceiling insulation and were built before the mandatory thermal performance requirements under the Building Code of Australia were introduced commencing in 2003.
If the total cost of installation is less than $1,600 there will be no more for the householder to pay. This will be the case for most households. If the cost of the insulation is more than $1,600, the householder will ordinarily have to pay the difference, or the full amount if they are ineligible.
The program commenced with its announcement on 3 February 2009 under a rebate scheme. From 1 July 2009 to 31 August 2009 there were separate arrangements for owner- occupiers and rental properties. This program now covers all eligible households and is in effect from 1 September 2009 to 31 December 2011 or until the date when Program funds have been fully allocated, whichever occurs first.
