FEDERAL Water Minister Keith Pitt is confident a new structure to a popular water rebate scheme will help make the program run more smoothly.
The second round of the Emergency Water Infrastructure Rebate Scheme (EWIR) has been launched and it is set to look much different to the first round.
Unlike the first round of funds, which was solely funded by the federal government and was distributed by the state governments, the second round will see the state governments match the federal funds dollar-for-dollar.
Mr Pitt said the reason for the program's restructure was because some state governments had overextended funds during the first round, resulting in some successful applicants missing out.
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"Unfortunately it was poorly administered by some states in the first round and it meant it was overrun, which meant hundreds of farmers missed out," Mr Pitt told reporters in Tamworth on Thursday.
"We literally had hundreds of farmers apply for the rebate, which is provided post-works, only to find there was no money left and they had missed out.
"That's just not acceptable and our job is to represent those individuals that acted in good faith and ensure they receive the money they expect.
"This time around the states are a dollar-for-dollar contributor, so I'm confident that now the states are contributing some of their own funds they will be much more cautious in the management of funds and applications."
The scheme's restructure comes after a war of words between the state and federal governments and after NSW Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall confirmed in April that the state government would contribute $15m to unlock a total of $30m in new funds for the scheme - the additional $15m having been offered as a dollar-for-dollar promise last October by the federal government.
As a result applicants who were successful on the first round but missed out on funds will be paid out first in what Mr Pitt referred to as "legacy payments".
However, Mr Pitt visited Orange on Wednesday and Tamworth on Thursday to encourage producers to apply for the remaining funds, which will be set aside for new projects including water tanks, solar panels and other drought-proofing infrastructure.
"This scheme is about building resilience for farmers for the next drought because there will always be another drought in the future," he said.
"There is availability right now for a 25 per cent rebate for expenditure on farm to build resilience for future droughts.
"While it is wet now, we want people to plan for the future and the Commonwealth has got $100 million on the table to help do that."
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