Page Content
North-East Northern New England
Exceptional Circumstances will cease on 30 September 2008 in the North-East Northern New England area, except for producers and small business owners in the North-East Northern New England Revised area.
North-East Northern New England Revised area includes that part of the current North-East Northern New England EC region south of a line commencing where the Stanthorpe-Amosfield road crosses the Queensland-New South Wales border, thence in a generally easterly direction via this road to its junction with the Mount Lindesay Highway at Amosfield, thence in a northerly direction along the Mount Lindesay Highway to its junction with Rivertree Road (at Liston), thence in a generally easterly direction along Rivertree Road to where it crosses the Maryland River, thence downstream via the course of the Maryland River and its continuation as the Clarence River to its confluence with Tooloom Creek at the eastern boundary of the Northern New England Rural Lands Protection Boards district.
All producers in the declared area are eligible to apply for income support payments and interest rate subsidies.
Agriculture-dependent small business operators who derive 70 per cent of their turnover from agriculture in any EC declared area are also eligible to apply for income support payments and interest rate subsidies.
Producers and small business operators should not self-assess their eligibility for income support but should call the Drought Assistance Hotline on 13 23 16.Note: If your small business: is located in a town that is substantially reliant on farm incomes and has a population of 10,000 or less; and is in an EC area (including prima facie and interim assistance areas); and can demonstrate a significant downturn in income due to the drought, you may be eligible for assistance.
For more information on interest rate subsidies please contact your state rural assistance authority.
All producers and small business operators should note the following deadlines:
| Applicant | EC Relief Payment expiry | EC Interest Rate Subsidy Applications Close |
|---|---|---|
| Producers Small Businesses |
30 September 2008 | Year 1: 23 October 2007 Year 2: 30 September 2008* |
* A 28-day grace period applies to the closing date for EC Interest Rate Subsidy applications.
Area Description
The North-East Northern New England EC declared area covers that part of the north-eastern section of the Northern New England Rural Lands Protection Board (RLPB) bounded by the New England Highway in the west, the Bruxner Highway in the south, the RLPB boundary in the east and the Queensland border in the north.
Buffer Zone
A Buffer Zone covers properties wholly or partly within an area approximately ten kilometres to the west of the New England Highway and south of the Bruxner Highway, and where in the opinion of the NSWRAA the farm enterprise has suffered a downturn in income caused by the EC event.
Download the North-East Northern New England EC declared area map 
PDF [272kb]