Event grants to support drought-affected communities

Event organisers and businesses in South Australia’s drought-affected regions are invited to apply for the $400,000 Drought Relief Regional Event Fund which will open to the public next month.
 
The Fund aims to provide financial support to organise and host regional events which will engage community, foster connection, drive visitation, and support resilience in areas hardest impacted by drought and adverse weather conditions over recent seasons.
 
Applications for the Fund open at 12noon on Tuesday 1 July and close at 5pm on Thursday 24 July.
 
The Drought Relief Regional Event Fund will allocate financial assistance ranging from $25,000 to $75,000 per event provided as a single year agreement.
 
Applications for events held within the next 12 months (before 30 June 2026) will be prioritised, to promote visitation to affected regions in the immediate term.

Funding can be used to both market and deliver events, including engaging local suppliers, contractors and businesses to purchase local products, marketing costs to increase awareness and visitation, and employing short term specialised personnel to facilitate the event. 

The drought relief funding is in addition to the existing Regional Events Fund, with applications for the 2025-26 round closing in March earlier this year.
 
For further Drought Relief Regional Event Fund information, visit https://tourism.sa.gov.au/events/event-funding.
 
Quotes attributable to Minister for Tourism, Zoe Bettison
 
Most of South Australia is experiencing the worst drought conditions on record, with some regions recording their lowest rainfall ever.
 
This is why the State Government is investing $73 million to assist farming communities affected by drought across South Australia, including $400,000 for the Drought Relief Regional Event Fund.
 
Now is the time for event organisers to start thinking about how to showcase the best of our drought-affected regions – to both boost community morale and attract visitors from all over.
 
The Drought Relief Regional Event Fund will provide important and lasting benefits to our regional communities, as they bring people together, while delivering needed dollars into the pockets of local businesses.
 
I encourage anyone who has event experience - and appreciates the brilliance of the people and places of our drought affected areas - to apply for the fund and help deliver a memorable event that will lift the spirits of those who have had it so tough and inject much-needed financial assistance to the affected areas.
 
Quotes attributable to Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Clare Scriven
 
Events are an important part of our Drought Support Package to help boost the spirits of drought affected communities, foster connectivity and, importantly, bring in business to local shops, cafes and suppliers.
 
The $73m Drought Support Package has been designed in direct consultation with farmers, industry bodies and regional representatives. It includes a wide variety of measures to directly support primary producers and drought-affected families as well as regional communities.
 
This fund provides an opportunity for regional towns to attract visitors and boost their local economy.