❓ Hon Colin de Grussa asks about investment and projects related to the Digital Farm Grains Program and the eConnected Grainbelt Program. The Minister provides detailed expenditure information for past years and planned funding for future years.
AnsweredQoN 226Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the Digital Farm Grains Program and the eConnected Grainbelt Program election commitments, and I ask: (a) what has been the investment to date for the following financial years: (i) 2017-18; (ii) 2018-19; (iii) 2019-20; and (iv) 2020-21; (b) what projects are currently underway as part of the commitment and what has been the expenditure to the end of the 2020-21 financial year; (c) what investment and projects are planned for the 2021-22 financial year; and (d) how is the funding allocated across the forward estimates?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
7 September 2021
Responded by
Minister for Agriculture and Food
Response time
9 days
The Digital Farm Grants Program and the eConnected Grainbelt Program are not election commitments. The programs were developed and/or funded prior to the 2021 election.
(a) Expenditure to date for the following financial years is:
Financial Year
Digital Farm Grants Program
eConnected Grainbelt Program
(i)
2017-18
$149,508
$2,125,879
(ii)
2018-19
$677,961
$2,186,550
(iii)
2019-20
$1,696,813
$1,524,914
(iv)
2020-21
$1,351,257
$1,457,224
Total
$3,875,539
$7,294,567
(b) The Digital Farm Grants program provides funding for last-mile solutions for agribusinesses in agricultural and pastoral regions that lie outside the current or planned NBN fixed wireless and fixed line footprint.
By the end of 2021, it is expected that extended services will be available to over 2,000 WA farming businesses across 110,000 square kilometres through parts of the Kimberley, Gascoyne, Midwest, Wheatbelt, Peel, South West and Great Southern regions.
The projects currently underway for the Digital Farm Grants Program include:
Fixed Wireless Projects
The eConnected Grainbelt Project promotes the availability of information and ag-tech tools across the WA grains industry. The eConnected team assists WA growers and consultants to improve their technological skill levels enabling growers to make more profitable decisions tailored to their farm businesses.
The projects currently underway for the eConnected Grainbelt Program include:
2020-21 expenditure is included in answer to part (a).
(c)-(d) The funding allocated across the forward estimates is:
Financial Year
Digital Farm Grants Program
eConnected Grainbelt Program
2021-22
$7.063m
$2.313m
2022-23
$3.25m
$2.03m
2023-24
$2.411m
2024-25
$2.069m
(a) Expenditure to date for the following financial years is:
Financial Year
Digital Farm Grants Program
eConnected Grainbelt Program
(i)
2017-18
$149,508
$2,125,879
(ii)
2018-19
$677,961
$2,186,550
(iii)
2019-20
$1,696,813
$1,524,914
(iv)
2020-21
$1,351,257
$1,457,224
Total
$3,875,539
$7,294,567
(b) The Digital Farm Grants program provides funding for last-mile solutions for agribusinesses in agricultural and pastoral regions that lie outside the current or planned NBN fixed wireless and fixed line footprint.
By the end of 2021, it is expected that extended services will be available to over 2,000 WA farming businesses across 110,000 square kilometres through parts of the Kimberley, Gascoyne, Midwest, Wheatbelt, Peel, South West and Great Southern regions.
The projects currently underway for the Digital Farm Grants Program include:
Fixed Wireless Projects
The eConnected Grainbelt Project promotes the availability of information and ag-tech tools across the WA grains industry. The eConnected team assists WA growers and consultants to improve their technological skill levels enabling growers to make more profitable decisions tailored to their farm businesses.
The projects currently underway for the eConnected Grainbelt Program include:
2020-21 expenditure is included in answer to part (a).
(c)-(d) The funding allocated across the forward estimates is:
Financial Year
Digital Farm Grants Program
eConnected Grainbelt Program
2021-22
$7.063m
$2.313m
2022-23
$3.25m
$2.03m
2023-24
$2.411m
2024-25
$2.069m
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