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Farmers and primary producers

Grants, loans, livestock support, fencing, water and counselling information for farmers and primary producers affected by the January 2026 Victorian bushfires.

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Primary Producer Bushfire Recovery Grants

Primary Producer Grants of $75,000 can help cover the costs of clean-up and getting back to business, including:

To be eligible, primary producers must:

or

The grant is split into 2 tiered payments and up to 3 separate applications can be made up to the maximum grant amount available under the program.

The program is administered by Rural Finance on behalf of the Victorian Government.

Grant applications are now open. Program guidelines and additional supporting information is available from Rural Finance.

Apply on the Rural Finance website.

Primary Producers Bushfire Recovery Concessional Loans

Concessional loans of up to $250,000 are available for primary producers who have seen significant damage to assets due to fires.

The loans are intended to be used for restoring and replacing damaged assets, or for working capital expenses that cannot be met due to a loss of income.

This assistance will help cover essential costs such as:

To be eligible, primary producers must:

The amount available is based on an assessment of the applicants’ financial position, including any amount recoverable under an insurance policy and cannot be more than the amount reasonably required.

Applicants can only apply for a maximum loan amount of $250,000.

The program is administered by Rural Finance on behalf of the Victorian Government.

Applications for loans are now open.

To apply go to the Rural Finance website.

Livestock welfare

Landholders concerned about livestock welfare can contact Agriculture Victoria on 1800 226 226. Agriculture Victoria will work with the fire Incident Controller to assess the request and determine the earliest and safest way to get access.

Water replacement

Find help on our Water relief and replacement page.

Fencing

Eligible property owners may get support to repair fencing if:

To find out if your damage is eligible for support, you can contact the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action on 136 186.

Land surveys

There are land surveyors who will provide professional advice on surveys and perform title boundary surveys at a discounted rate, only covering costs or less.

Contact the Surveyor-General Victoria on 03 9194 0282 or email surveyor.general@transport.vic.gov.au.

Counselling

The Rural Financial Counselling Service

The Rural Financial Counselling Service (RFCS) is accessible for bushfire affected primary producers, and offers free, confidential wellbeing support alongside financial and business counselling support.

RFCS wellbeing counsellors can visit bushfire-affected producers at their property or talk over the phone to assist with mental health and wellbeing issues for individuals and their families.

The RFCS is also available to assist primary producers with understanding and applying for recovery support.

To access the support of a wellbeing counsellor, call the Rural Financial Counselling Service on 1300 771 741.

The Look Over the Farm Gate program

The Look Over the Farm Gate (LOTFG) program is delivered by the National Centre for Farmer Health and is available to farming communities experiencing stress.

The LOTFG has been brought forward to meet the immediate needs of bushfire affected communities and provides grants of up to $5,000 for events and activities to support mental health and wellbeing.

Information is available on the National Centre for Farmer Health website.

Rural Aid Australia

Rural Aid Australia offers financial assistance and free counselling for affected farmers. More information is available on the Rural Aid Australia website.

Agriculture Victoria website

Head to Agriculture Victoria’s website for further information and resources to help support farmers impacted by the January 2026 bushfires.

January 2026 Victorian bushfires

Relief and recovery support for people and communities affected by the Victorian fires that started on 7 January 2026.

Safety & emergencies

Updated 8 April 2026

Recovery support is available

If you have been impacted by the January 2026 Victorian bushfires, help is available.

Call the Emergency Recovery Hotline on 1800 560 760(opens in a new window), Monday to Friday.

Press 9 for an interpreter or call Translating and Interpretation Service (TIS) on 131 450.

If you are in immediate danger, call 000.

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