This program was funded for the 2010-2011 financial year and has now closed.
Due to the difficult financial circumstances being faced by many of Tasmania’s native forest harvest and haulage contracting businesses, the Australian Government committed $22.4 million to help Tasmanian contractors and their employees.
This commitment was delivered through two programs, the $17 million Tasmanian Forest Contractors Exit Assistance Program run by the then Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and the $5.4 million Tasmanian Forest Contractors Financial Support Program run by the Tasmanian Government.
The Tasmanian Forest Contractors Exit Assistance Program aimed to reduce business overcapacity in the Tasmanian native forest harvest and haulage contracting sector. It sought to assist eligible businesses to exit the Tasmanian native forest harvest and haulage contracting sector. The Program committed up to $17 million for exit assistance to harvest and/or haulage contracting businesses.
Businesses applying for exit assistance were asked to nominate a figure to exit the industry based on their view of business viability including business related debt, reliability of future harvest and/or haulage volumes. Grants were capped at $750 000.