NSW Safe and Secure Water Program (SSWP)

Purpose and Program Overview

The Safe and Secure Water Program is a major NSW Government infrastructure co-funding initiative designed to address key risks to regional water safety and security and support the delivery of safe, secure and sustainable water and wastewater services for regional towns across New South Wales. The program focuses on improving town water quality, water security and environmental outcomes where existing infrastructure is aging, underperforming or no longer meets contemporary public health and environmental standards.

Over the life of the program, more than $1 billion has been committed as a regional infrastructure co‑funding pool to support eligible water and sewerage projects in regional NSW. The program primarily supports local water utilities and relevant authorities to invest in priority infrastructure solutions that, in turn, enable economic growth, improve public health outcomes and deliver social and environmental benefits for regional communities.

Key Grant Details

• Grant amount or funding range: No fixed minimum or maximum per project; grants vary by project, from a total pool of more than $1 billion, generally on a co‑funding basis.
• Application status/dates: Program operates on an ongoing basis until funding is expended; individual streams have specific timeframes (Stream 1 scheduled to run until 2028 or until funding is exhausted; Stream 2 expressions of interest closed 31 May 2024; Stream 3 is closed).
• Eligible industries or business types: Primarily local water utilities, regional councils, water supply authorities, joint organisations and relevant NSW Government agencies responsible for town water and sewerage infrastructure.
• Required co‑contributions: Yes – the program is a co‑funding initiative; for example, under some bands of Stream 1, grants may cover up to 90% of eligible project costs, with the balance funded by the proponent.
• Location applicability: Regional New South Wales only, targeting regional town water supply and sewerage services.

Priority Sectors

The program targets the regional urban water sector, including drinking water supply and wastewater/sewerage services in regional towns across NSW. Within this, it supports projects that improve public health, water security, environmental outcomes and social benefits, rather than focusing on specific commercial industry sectors.

Where applicants can demonstrate strong links to economic growth through improved water and wastewater infrastructure (for example, enabling new housing, industry or agribusiness expansion), these benefits are considered within the program’s objectives. Beyond this, the program is effectively open to a broad range of regional communities and utilities rather than being restricted to a particular private industry sector.

Funding Scope

The Safe and Secure Water Program is structured into three main streams of funding that cover planning, infrastructure delivery and high‑risk dam works.

• Stream 1: Supports the development and delivery of projects that address the highest risks and issues for regional NSW town water infrastructure, including both infrastructure and cost‑effective non‑infrastructure options; Stream 1 is scheduled to run until 2028 or until funding is exhausted.
• Stream 2: Supports Local Water Utility and regionally based strategic planning, such as integrated water cycle management planning and related strategic documents; expressions of interest closed on 31 May 2024 and all Stream 2 funding must be spent by 31 December 2025.
• Stream 3: Supports the repair or decommissioning of high‑risk dams; Stream 3 is currently closed.

No fixed minimum or maximum grant is prescribed at program level; project funding is assessed on a case‑by‑case basis against eligibility and value for money, with co‑funding ratios applied as per program guidelines (for example, higher support for disadvantaged communities or higher‑risk projects). Funding generally supports multi‑year projects aligned with infrastructure delivery timeframes, with specific milestones and completion requirements outlined in individual funding deeds.

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicant must be an eligible entity such as a regional council, local water utility, water supply authority, joint organisation or relevant NSW Government agency responsible for town water and sewerage services in regional NSW.
• The project must relate to water security, water quality, wastewater/sewerage, or associated environmental infrastructure and services for regional towns in NSW.
• The project must address identified priority risks or issues, such as non‑compliance with health standards, capacity constraints, drought vulnerability, environmental impacts or asset failure risk.
• The proponent must be able to provide the required co‑contribution consistent with program funding ratios and demonstrate financial capacity to deliver and maintain the infrastructure.
• Applicants are generally expected to have appropriate governance, risk management, procurement capability and project management systems in place to support successful delivery.​
• Projects must align with relevant strategic plans (for example, local water utility strategic plans, regional water strategies or integrated water cycle management plans) where applicable.

Eligible Activities and Expenses

• Design, construction, upgrade or replacement of water treatment plants, pipelines, pump stations, reservoirs, sewerage systems and related town water and wastewater infrastructure.
• Implementation of infrastructure solutions to improve drinking water quality, water security and drought resilience, including new sources, storage, treatment and distribution upgrades.
• Environmental infrastructure works that reduce pollution, support healthier waterways and improve compliance with environmental regulations (for example, improved effluent management or reuse schemes).
• Strategic planning and investigations for Local Water Utilities and regional water planning (Stream 2), including preparation of strategic business plans and integrated water cycle management plans.
• Repair, upgrade or decommissioning of high‑risk dams under the relevant stream, where safety or compliance risks have been identified.

Assessment Process

The Safe and Secure Water Program is administered as a competitive, merit‑based co‑funding program rather than an automatic entitlement scheme. Applications or project proposals are assessed against program guidelines, strategic priorities and available funding.

Typical assessment criteria include project merit and need (demonstrated risk, public health or environmental issues addressed), strategic alignment with regional and state water strategies, and the extent to which the project improves service levels and outcomes for communities. Value for money, deliverability (including governance and risk management) and the proponent’s financial and technical capacity to deliver and operate the infrastructure are also key factors in funding decisions.

Recent Program Updates

The program was first established in 2017 and re‑launched in late 2018 as a revised version to better target priority risks and improve program delivery. The current configuration includes three streams, with Stream 1 continuing until 2028 or until funding is exhausted, Stream 2 expressions of interest having closed on 31 May 2024 (with funding to be spent by 31 December 2025), and Stream 3 now closed.

Program documents and guidelines have been updated over time to refine eligibility, funding bands and assessment processes, including clearer emphasis on addressing the highest‑priority town water risks and ensuring minimum service levels for smaller or disadvantaged communities. Applicants should always refer to the latest published guidelines and fact sheets to confirm current settings before preparing an application.

Application Tips

• Review the latest program guidelines, fact sheets and eligibility criteria carefully to confirm that both the applicant organisation and the proposed project are eligible before investing significant effort in proposal development.
• Develop a clear problem statement, demonstrating the specific public health, water security, environmental or service‑level risks the project will address, supported by data, risk assessments and compliance evidence where available.
• Align the project with relevant local, regional and state strategic plans and policies (for example, regional water strategies or integrated water cycle management plans), and clearly show how the project contributes to improved outcomes for regional communities and economic growth.
• Prepare key documents in advance, including project scope, cost estimates, co‑funding commitments, delivery timelines, governance arrangements, risk management plans and benefits realisation measures.
• Demonstrate organisational capability to manage procurement, delivery and ongoing operation of the infrastructure, and highlight previous successful projects or partnerships where relevant.

Where to Get Help

Consider consulting a grant specialist like Pattens Group for a personalised eligibility assessment and expert assistance in preparing a strong, compliant and competitive application. Contact us and get connected with Australia’s best grant specialist, boasting over 35 years of experience in the industry and a 100% success rate. For official guidelines, application details, templates and further information, visit the official website of Safe and Secure Water Program and other associated Australian government websites