Forestry Industry Worker Support Program
The NSW Government has announced the Forestry Industry Worker Support Program to provide additional financial assistance to employees of milling businesses and harvest and/or haulage operators who have been made redundant as a result of the moratorium on timber harvesting within the proposed boundary of the Great Koala National Park.
The program provides reimbursement for eligible relocation, education and training expenses to support individuals who have had to move outside the region or re-train in a new field to secure employment.
Eligible individuals will be able to apply for up to $9,000 for retraining and up-skilling expenses, and up to $45,000 for relocation expenses, if they have moved to a new residence more than 50 kilometres away.
Approved applicants will receive an up-front payment of $2,000 to use on immediate retraining and up-skilling expenses.
Applications must be submitted within 12 months from the date on which redundancy is confirmed, or by 4pm on 7 March 2028, whichever occurs first.
Please download and refer to the program guidelines (PDF, 743.12 KB) for details, including eligibility criteria.
To be eligible for the Forestry Industry Worker Support Program, you must meet the eligibility requirements set out in the program guidelines (PDF, 743.12 KB) and summarised below:
- you were an employee of a business with a wood supply agreement that was directly impacted by the announcement of a moratorium on timber harvesting within the proposed boundary of the Great Koala National Park
- you were made redundant within 18 months of the moratorium announcement and have been provided with an Employment Separation Certificate or other equivalent documentation confirming your redundancy from the impacted business
- you currently reside, or, at the time of the moratorium announcement, you resided in one of the eligible NSW North Coast local government areas (LGAs), including:
- Ballina
- Bellingen
- Byron
- Clarence Valley
- Coffs Harbour
- Kempsey
- Kyogle
- Lismore
- Nambucca
- Port Macquarie-Hastings
- Richmond Valley
- Tweed.
Please refer to the program guidelines (PDF, 743.12 KB) for detailed eligibility criteria.
Eligible individuals can apply for reimbursement for expenses, including:
- education and training from a Registered Training Organisation (RTO), including associated travel costs where the training is not offered locally
- relocation expenses if you have moved 50 kilometres or more from your previous residence in an eligible LGA, including removalist costs, truck and trailer hire, storage, gardening and cleaning fees, lease-breaking costs, rental bond, legal costs, stamp duty, real estate agent fees, utility connection and exit costs, short-term accommodation and incidental costs.
Please refer to the program guidelines (PDF, 743.12 KB) for full details of eligible expenses and evidence you may be asked for to support your claim.
Applicants will need to complete the online application form and provide the following:
- your Employment Separation Certificate or equivalent letter of confirmation from your employer of your redundancy
- confirmation of your residential address in one of the eligible LGAs
- confirmation of your bank details, such as the front page of a bank statement showing the account name, BSB, and account number.
Please refer to the program guidelines (PDF, 743.12 KB) for further details.
Before applying, you should:
- download and read the program guidelines (PDF, 743.12 KB) including the terms and conditions - please note that the guidelines detail eligibility criteria and what you can and cannot apply for
- prepare your supporting documentation.
If approved, you can claim payment of up to the maximum approved grant amount by submitting valid tax invoices and proof of payment for eligible expenses. If you provided these documents as part of your application, you will need to resubmit them as a claim after approval.
Once your application is approved, NSW Fisheries and Forestry will provide detailed information on the claims process.
Please refer to the program guidelines (PDF, 743.12 KB) for further details.
Before commencing your application, please ensure you have thoroughly read and understood the program guidelines (PDF, 743.12 KB). The version of the program guidelines published on the date you submit your application applies.
Please ensure you download and save, or print, a copy of the program guidelines for future reference.
Applications must be submitted within 12 months from the date on which redundancy is confirmed, or by 4pm on 7 March 2028, whichever occurs first.
The online application form has been designed to make the process as simple as possible. We recommend that you have all scanned documents ready to upload before starting the application. We also recommend that you use the Google Chrome browser when applying online.
Once your application has been approved, you will be advised of the process to submit valid tax invoices to claim payments up to the maximum approved grant amount. If you provided these documents as part of your application, you will need to resubmit them as a claim.
To submit a claim, you will need:
- BP reference number
- the case number from your original application
- valid tax invoice(s)
- proof of payment.
Once your application is approved, NSW Fisheries and Forestry will provide detailed information on the claims process.
Claims must be submitted within 18 months from the date on which redundancy is confirmed, or by 4 pm on 7 September 2028, whichever occurs first.
We recommend you use the Google Chrome browser when submitting a claim.
Please refer to the program guidelines (PDF, 743.12 KB) for further details.
A comprehensive list of questions and responses that relate to this program is available on our Great Koala National Park webpage.
Rural Financial Counselling Service
If you are experiencing any issues completing the application form, free confidential assistance is available from your local Rural Financial Counselling Service:
Northern region: 1800 344 090
Southern and Central region: 1800 319 458
Translations
If you need assistance with interpreting or translating, please contact Multicultural NSW on 1300 651 500 or email languageservices@multicultural.nsw.gov.au
Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
For information and advice, businesses and their workers can contact the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development - Forestry Industry Support Team via forestryindustrysupport@dpird.nsw.gov.au
