12 November 2025
By QRIDA Disasters and Drought Manager, Sheree Finney
Queensland producers and small business owners are encouraged to prepare for a hot and wet summer, with climate scientists forecasting extreme heat and high ocean temperatures that could lead to cyclones.
This was my key takeaway from the Bureau of Meteorology’s first long-range forecast which was recently released and explained in a meeting with disaster management stakeholders.
But what does this mean for your farm, small business or non-profits’ disaster preparedness? I have all the key details to unpack this for your operation. 
Firstly, it’s important to note that despite the best climate scientists, long-range forecasts can and do change as weather patterns are constantly evolving. So, while you should heed the warning of tropical cyclones, it’s important to get ready for all disasters including bushfires, storms and floods.
While I’ve led QRIDA’s disaster recovery assistance for Queensland primary producers, small businesses and non-profits over several years, I’ve gathered the tried-and-true disaster preparedness tips that have helped mitigate damage.
I encourage you to make sure you have adequate insurance and financial reserves, review your emergency plan, pack an emergency kit, and take pre-disaster photos of infrastructure and equipment.
If your operation is impacted by an extreme weather event, and once it is safe to do so, take photos of the damage, even if you think it is minor, as this will be required for any QRIDA recovery financial assistance applications.
I also encourage you to upload these images to the government’s voluntary Disaster Impact Survey and complete the survey questions as this helps the government assess the extent of the damage for the activation of recovery assistance. This Survey can be found on The Department of Primary Industries website here for primary producers, or Business Queensland’s website here for small businesses and non-profits following a disaster.
If disaster financial assistance becomes available through QRIDA, don’t self-assess. QRIDA’s team includes regional staff who can answer any questions you have and help you complete your disaster grant or loan application.
While QRIDA amplifies disaster preparedness reminders over the coming months, we continue to focus on helping operations recover from cyclones and flooding earlier this year. If your operation was impacted by these events, there’s still plenty of time to apply for QRIDA disaster recovery grants and loans.
The forecast for the months ahead means the 2025/26 disaster season may be similar to the last, but whether summer brings cyclones, bushfires, storms or floods, remember Queensland - we’ve done it before, and we can do it again.
For more information about QRIDA’s disaster financial assistance, visit our disaster recovery webpage here and to find out how you can prepare for disasters, our preparedness webpage here.
