Following the Black Summer bushfires of 2019/2020, earthquakes in Victoria and severe weather warnings for the upcoming La Nina summer, the grants couldn't come quick enough.

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Funding of up to $10 million dollars is available from the Preparing Australian Communities Program for projects of local significance to improve the resilience of communities against natural disasters and hazards.

The guidelines for applications are relatively broad as the government hopes to attract a range of eligible businesses and entities.

Successful applicants will have projects aimed at reducing the risk to their communities posed by bushfires, floods or tropical cyclones.

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Coordinator-General for the National Recovery and Resilience Agency the Hon Shane L Stone AC QC is urging businesses to start preparing their applications quickly.

"This is a national program and the grants are open to all local government areas across Australia," Mr Stone said.

"Projects will be funded based on merit, so a local government area that isn't listed as a priority location is still eligible to receive a share of the $150 million available under this round, if they put forward a strong application that meets all the criteria."

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The Preparing Australia Program is just one feature of a suite of spending by the Federal Government for disaster risk and recovery which includes $2.8 billion for Black Summer Bushfire recovery and $85 million for National Natural Hazards Research.

Guidelines, Frequently Asked Questions, a sample application form, and a sample grant agreement are available at business.gov.au/PACPL.

Support resources and further information about the Preparing Australia Program is available at recovery.gov.au/preparing-australia-program.

If you're a local business or entity looking at applying for the grants, we'd love to hear from you. Email us at addynews@austcommunitymedia.com.au or contact us on social media.

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