Frequently asked questions

Yes, you are entitled to a decision review. See reviewing a decision for more information. 

Detailed information on how QRIDA will calculate rebate amounts is included in supplementary Information about the Horticulture Irrigation Rebate Pricing Scheme.

In submitting subsequent applications for rebates, you will only be required to provide additional information relevant to their current claim.

Applications for rebates can be made online through the QRIDA portal.

Irrigators who do not have internet access should contact QRIDA.

On approval of an application, QRIDA will deposit funding into the bank account nominated in your application.

As a Pioneer Valley Water customer, you are not issued an invoice directly by Sunwater. However, Pioneer Valley Water bills include charges from Sunwater which will be eligible for the rebate.

The Sunwater prices for the Pioneer Valley scheme can be found here.

No, you will only need to have made a payment in full for the invoice relevant to your application.

If it has not been possible to grow horticultural crops because your water allocation has been temporarily traded you would not be eligible for a rebate on your water allocation charges.

However, if you retained some allocation and grew horticultural crops you would be eligible for a rebate on both the water allocation charges retained and any water usage charges associated with horticulture production.

You do not need to submit separate applications if your allocations are held under the same customer number.

Yes. You will need to provide evidence to demonstrate that you usually grow horticulture if announced allocations are sufficient to do so.

Yes. The application in the QRIDA portal will guide you on how to do this.

No. If you cannot demonstrate the amount of water used specifically for horticultural crops you will be asked questions about the land areas under horticultural and non-horticultural crops. QRIDA will use this information and relevant Australian Bureau of Statistics irrigation water application rates to calculate your rebate. More information on the formula to make this calculation is available in the supplementary information.

No, QRIDA will calculate the rebate amount from the information you provide.

You may view the formulas used by QRIDA in calculating rebates in the Supplementary Information about the scheme.

The application form will ask you to nominate how much of the water usage shown on your irrigation invoice is applicable to horticulture. You will need to provide information to support the amount you have nominated.

If you are unable to provide information that demonstrates water usage applicable to horticulture you will be required to provide details of the land areas under horticulture and non-horticulture production. QRIDA will use this information to calculate your rebate amount using relevant Australian Bureau of Statistics irrigation water application rates.

Please refer to the question on information to be provided with a rebate application for examples of information and evidence that may be provided to support your application.

Yes, you should provide supporting information to assist in confirming all water allocations and any usage shown on your irrigation invoice were used to irrigate horticultural crops.

Please refer to the question on information to be provided with a rebate application below for examples of information and evidence that may be provided to support your application.

Questions concerning your personal taxation circumstances should be directed to your taxation advisor or the Australian Taxation Office on 13 72 86.

The rebate applies to the following charges:

• allocation charges (Part A and Part C),
• usage charges (Part B and Part D), and
• access charges.

At least two types of information must be provided to support a rebate claim. This information may include items such as:

• profit and loss, or management accounts showing the income received from the sale of horticultural crops
• sale dockets relating to the sale of horticultural crops
• your federal government Horticulture Levy statement obtainable from Levies Online
• farm plan/map outlining the area under production of horticultural crops
• on the ground photographic evidence (e.g. with mobile phone) showing the production and/or processing of horticultural crops
• any additional evidence on how your metered water take has been used.

Yes, however protective netting must have been purchased and installed after 16 December 2019 for apple and pear crops and 14 December 2021 for all other horticultural crops.

Horticultural crops for the purposes of the scheme includes the following activities:

• nursery and floriculture production;
• mushroom and vegetable growing;
• fruit and tree nut growing excluding grapes used for production within viticulture.

Yes, you can apply again on invoices you have not already received payment on through teh Department of Primary Industries (DPI). The amount you have received under the DPI program counts towards the $300,000 maximum under the program. For example if you have already received $100,000 from DPI under the Horticulture Netting Apple and Pear program you can receive no more than $200,000 through QRIDA.

You will also be required to consent to DPI providing information on your Horticulture Netting (Apple and Pear) program including the invoices paid to QRIDA.

Yes, you may apply for conditional approval before purchasing or installing netting.

In these circumstances you will be required to provide quotes to support your application.

QRIDA is committed to ensuring due administrative processes are undertaken with the decisioning of applications for Government assistance.

When making decisions on applications, as well as the internal review of a decision, QRIDA follows the QRIDA Decision-Making Policy and Procedure.

You can view this Policy and Procedure on the Reviewing a decision page.