Jobs Fund - Infrastructure Employment Projects

The Jobs Fund is a $650 million Australian Government Initiative comprised of three streams: Local Jobs; Get Communities Working and Infrastructure Employment Projects. It is designed to support and create jobs and skill development through projects that build community infrastructure and social capital in local communities.

The Infrastructure Employment Projects stream of the Jobs Fund is a $150 million initiative providing for investment in infrastructure projects which generate jobs in regions affected by the economic downturn.

Infrastructure Employment Projects will be initiated by the Australian Government and applications will not be accepted for funding under the initiative.

The first round of the Local Jobs and Get Communities Working streams of the Jobs fund closed on 22 May 2009. The second and final round of applications for these two streams closed on 11 December 2009.

Revised guidelines and application forms for the Local Jobs and Get Communities Working streams of the Jobs Fund are available on the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations website.

Infrastructure Employment Projects will be assessed against the Jobs Fund Guidelines [PDF: 187 KB]

Projects funded under Infrastructure Employment Projects and announced to date are available below:

Gladstone Airport Terminal Upgrade
http://www.minister.infrastructure.gov.au/aa/releases/2010/February/AA052_2010.htm

Queensland Symphony Orchestra
http://www.minister.infrastructure.gov.au/aa/releases/2009/October/aa461_2009.htm

Wayside Chapel - Sydney
http://www.minister.infrastructure.gov.au/aa/releases/2009/november/aa489_2009.htm

Fitzgerald River National Park Road Upgrade and Walk Trail Project
http://www.minister.infrastructure.gov.au/aa/releases/2009/December/aa552_2009.htm

• What is the Infrastructure Employment Projects Program?
• How can I apply for Infrastructure Employment Projects?
• When will Infrastructure Employment Projects commence?
• What can be funded?
• What criteria will be used to select projects?

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What is the Infrastructure Employment Projects Program?

The Infrastructure Employment Projects is a part of the Jobs Fund - a $650 million Australian Government initiative to support and create jobs and skill development through projects that build infrastructure and social capital in local communities.

Infrastructure Employment Projects will support infrastructure projects in areas that are vulnerable to the impact of unemployment as a result of the global economic recession, or projects from areas suffering from other external shocks.

The Infrastructure Employment Projects stream has funding of $150 million over two years (2009-10 and 2010-11).

How can I apply for Infrastructure Employment Projects?

There is no application process for this stream.

The Australian Government will initiate projects jointly with state and territory and/or local governments according to the needs of communities.

When will the Infrastructure Employment Projects commence?

Details about projects funded under the Infrastructure Employment Projects will be made available on the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government and Jobs Fund websites shortly after being announced.

What can be funded?

Projects that will be considered for funding under this stream will target local community needs and will create jobs in construction, related industries and the general community.

Infrastructure Employment Projects funding may provide funding for a wide range of infrastructure projects, subject to the needs of local communities, including new and major renovations or refurbishments. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• social and cultural infrastructure
• recreational facilities
• tourism infrastructure
• children, youth and seniors facilities
• access facilities including road and rail infrastructure and local government owned or managed airport related infrastructure, and
• environmental infrastructure.

Funding can be used for:

• construction or fit out (the majority of the funding for projects funded under the Infrastructure Employment Projects stream must be used for construction)
• project management costs; and
• payment of salary/wages for people employed on the project.

There is no cap on individual project amounts that can be funded under this stream.

What criteria will be used to select projects?

Projects, including Infrastructure Employment Projects, which will be considered for funding under the Jobs Fund must address at least one of the following four target areas:

• create jobs or retain people in jobs at risk due to the downturn;
• build skills for the future;
• build community infrastructure or improve community amenity which generates local jobs; or
• provide seed funding for social enterprises to start up or expand, generating jobs and improving community services.

Within each of these four target areas, preference will be given to projects which demonstrate one or more eligibility criteria. These are outlined on page 3 of the Jobs Fund Guidelines [PDF: 187 KB]

The gateway criteria which must be met for the Infrastructure Employment Projects stream of the Jobs Fund include:

• projects in areas experiencing high unemployment, a significant rise in unemployment or vulnerability
• projects must be viable and ready to start, and
• funding will not extend past 2010-11. Projects will be expected to be self-sufficient and/or not require Australian Government funding beyond 30 June 2011.

There are no minimum or maximum amounts of funding for projects under the Infrastructure Employment Projects stream.

• Infrastructure Employment Project Fact Sheet [PDF: 17 KB]
• Infrastructure Employment Project and Round 1 Jobs Fund Guidelines [PDF: 187 KB]
  Note: These Guidelines do not apply to Round 2 of Local Jobs and Get Communities Working streams of the Jobs Fund.
• For further information on applications for other streams of the Jobs Fund