Government Grants & Concessions: Making the Most of What’s Available

Grant: First home buyers [Western Australia]

The first home owner grant (FHOG) is a one-off payment to encourage and assist first home buyers to buy or build a new residential property for use as their principal place of residence.

The grant is $10,000 or the consideration paid to buy or build the house if less than that amount.

Only one grant is payable per eligible transaction, so two people purchasing a house together may only receive one grant.

Concession: First home buyers scheme ACT [from 1 July 2019]

To be eligible for the Home Buyer Concession Scheme (HBC) the following criteria must be met:

• All buyers of the home or land must be individuals of at least 18 years old.
• The income* of all buyers, including their domestic partners** (if any), in the previous financial year to the transaction date, must not be greater than the relevant income threshold below.
• All buyers including their domestic partners** (if any) must not have owned (legal or equitable interest) any other property in the last 5 years.***
• At least one buyer must live in the home continuously for a minimum of one year, beginning within 12 months of either the settlement date or the date the Certificate of Occupancy and Use is issued.****

* From 1 July 2024, income refers to assessed taxable income, or if there is no taxable income, gross income. Before 1 July 2024 the income threshold applies to gross income.

** A domestic partner includes your spouse, civil union partner or de facto partner.

*** Before 1 July 2024, the period was 2 years. There are limited exceptions to this requirement, including court orders and agreements, family violence orders or injunctions made under the Family Law Act 1975 (Cwlth). These court orders must be sealed before the transaction date.

**** The Commissioner for ACT Revenue may exempt you from the residence requirement upon written application, in full or in part, but only in very specific circumstances.

Grant: First home owner grant [New South Wales]

A $10,000 First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) is available when you buy or build your first new home. Your first new home can be a house, townhouse, apartment, unit or similar that is newly built, purchased off the plan or substantially renovated. The grant is not available for established homes.

Grant: Buying or building a new home – Homegrown Territory [Northern Territory]

Extended to 30 September 2026

The HomeGrown Territory Grant offers $50,000 for first-home buyers to put towards building or buying their first home.

You can also use it for a new transportable home, as long as it’s permanently fixed and legally approved to be lived in.

This grant replaces the $10,000 First Home Owner Grant and is available for:

• owner-builders
• off-the-plan purchases.

There is no cap on the build or purchase price. Read information to help you build or renovate a residential property in the NT.

Grant: First home owner [Queensland]

The eligibility criteria for the first home owner grant and ensure you have an eligible transaction for buying or building a new home  , the grant amount is:

• $30,000 for contracts signed between 20 November 2023 and 30 June 2026 (both dates inclusive)
• $15,000 for contracts signed before 20 November 2023.

For owner-builders, the grant amount is:

• $30,000 where foundations are laid between 20 November 2023 and 30 June 2026 (both dates inclusive)
• $15,000 where foundations were laid before 20 November 2023.

The first home owner grant is separate to the home guarantee schemes, which are administered by Housing Australia. If you are eligible for one of the national schemes, it will not affect your eligibility for the first home owner grant.

Grant: First home owner [South Australia]

The first home owner grant is a one-off payment of up to $15,000 for eligible first home owners by the State Government.  It is intended for eligible applicants who are buying or building a new residential property  which will be used as a principal place of residence in South Australia.

From 13 February 2025, changes to the eligibility criteria regarding previous and current property ownership came into effect.

Grant: First home owner [Tasmania]

A first home owner grant is available to eligible applicants who purchase or build a new home in Tasmania from 1 July 2016. ​​A new home is a home that has not previously been occupied or sold as a place of residence and includes kit homes.​ 

The amount of the grant is determined by the date that the eligible transaction​ commenced:

• Transactions commencing from 1 July 2024 will be eligible for $10,000.
• Transactions that commenced between 1 April 2021 and 30 June 2024 will be eligible for $30,000.
• Transactions that commenced between 1 July 2016 and 31 March 2021 will be eligible for $20,000​.

Grant: First home owner [Victoria]

Usually, the bank or credit union providing your finance will lodge the application for you. They must be an approved agent.

If you need the grant for settlement or your first progressive payment, you must apply through an approved agent.

The bank or credit union will:

• check your eligibility
• verify your identity
• handle the rest of the supporting documentation
• lodge the application form on your behalf after you have signed it and had it witnessed.

Your bank or credit union can let you know when the grant will be paid. You do not need to complete the steps below if an approved agent is lodging the application.

Grant: Solar Storage is King

By pairing solar panels with a battery, you can store the excess energy your system generates during the day and use it at night when the sun goes down. This means you rely less on the grid and can significantly reduce your electricity bills. Beyond the financial savings, a solar battery also provides a valuable sense of energy security, offering a backup power source during blackouts.

In a country blessed with abundant sunshine, solar battery storage is a smart, sustainable, and increasingly popular way to power your home, both day and night.

The Federal Governments department of Climate Change say that Australia is a world leader in rooftop solar with more than 4 million rooftop solar PV systems, however only one in 40 households have installed batteries. The high upfront cost of batteries means installing batteries is out of reach for many households and businesses.

Australian households, businesses and community organisations can now get a discount of around 30% on the upfront cost of installing small-scale battery systems (5 kWh to 100 kWh). 

Concession: Seniors cards