Extraordinary Disaster Assistance Recovery Grants - Southern Queensland Flooding
Extraordinary Disaster Assistance Recovery Grants are available to assist directly impacted small businesses, primary producers and non-profits with the costs of clean-up and reinstatement.
Date extension notice: Applications for the Southern Queensland Flooding, 6 – 20 May 2022 now close 1 September 2023. Please be aware that no further extensions to this closing date will be made.
What assistance is available?
Grants of up to $75,000 are available for affected producers following Southern Queensland Flooding, 6 – 20 May 2022 to hire or purchase equipment and materials, clean up, remove debris, replace fencing and other costs associated with the recovery process. Producers should take photographs of the direct damage to accompany their application/s.
Applicants need to show they are an eligible primary producer, within the declared disaster area and demonstrate they have suffered direct impact from the disaster. Read below and the guidelines for more information.
The maximum grant amount is $75,000 and can be accessed through the following:
- Initial application/s up to the total amount of $15,000 is available to support an initial claim. Evidence of the direct damage is required such as photographs and quotations, tax invoices or official receipts.
- Subsequent application/s up to the total amount of $60,000 is available to support subsequent claims for which full evidence of payment is required.
Complete applications are assessed in order of receipt and QRIDA may request further information to help assess an application.
How can the assistance help you?
Eligible clean-up, reinstatement activities and emergency measures include:
- Equipment and materials to undertake clean-up
- Additional labour costs (above and beyond normal wage expenditure i.e. day-to-day staffing)
- Disposing of damaged goods and injured or dead livestock, including associated costs
- Repairs to buildings (other than housing)
- Fencing not covered by any other assistance
- Reconditioning/ repairing essential plant and equipment
- Salvaging crops, grain and feeds
- Purchase or hire/ lease costs for equipment essential to the immediate resumption of the business
- Payment for tradespeople to conduct safety inspections
- Essential repairs to premises and internal fittings that is not covered by insurance.
Am I eligible?
To be eligible for an Extraordinary Disaster Assistance Recovery Grant, the applicant must:
- Be a primary producer;
- Hold an Australian Business Number (ABN) and have held that ABN at the time of the eligible disaster;
- Have a primary production enterprise that is located in the defined area for the eligible disaster that has suffered direct damage as a result of the eligible disaster;
- Have been engaged in carrying on the primary production enterprise when affected by the eligible disaster;
- Be primarily responsible for meeting the costs claimed in the application;
- For costs relating to 3.1 g) (v), (vi) and (vii) provide satisfactory evidence of the loss of damage; and
- Intend to re-establish the primary production enterprise in the defined disaster area for the eligible disaster.
An applicant may also be eligible for an exceptional circumstances grant if both of the following apply:
- The applicant’s primary production enterprise is located outside the defined disaster area for the eligible disaster but is carried on at least sometime on a regular basis in the area.
- Plant or equipment of the primary production enterprise situated in the defined disaster area has been damaged as a result of the eligible disaster.
Defined disaster area
The Minister for Fire and Emergency Services has activated disaster assistance for Southern Queensland Flooding, 6 – 20 May 2022.
To be eligible for assistance your property must be located in one of the defined disaster areas:
- Balonne Shire Council
- Gympie Regional Council
- Lockyer Valley Regional Council
- Scenic Rim Regional Council
- Somerset Regional Council
- Southern Downs Regional Council
- Western Downs Regional Council.
What documents do I need to provide with my application?
If you have already applied for assistance from QRIDA please provide your QRIDA Client ID Number. Please do not mail original documents as we are unable to return them.
Financial statements and tax returns
Rates Notice / Lease Agreement
- Your enterprise must be located within a defined disaster area. If you own the property, please attach a copy of your most recent Local Government rates notice for the property impacted by the disaster event.
- If you lease the property, please attach a copy of your current lease agreement (lease agreement must confirm that you are responsible for meeting the costs being claimed).
Photographs of damage
- 5 - 10 photographs evidencing direct damage.
Evidence of payment
- For grant applications up to $15,000 (i.e. for immediate resumption of business directly following the disaster event):
- Copies of tax invoices or quotes/estimates
OR
- For grant applications over $15,000 or subsequent applications up to $60,000
- Copies of tax invoices AND evidence that these invoices have been paid (e.g. bank statements, electronic bank transfer confirmations or official supplier receipts).
Details of insurance
If insured, full details and a copy of your insurance policy and/or claim must be provided. Please be aware QRIDA is unable to finalise your Disaster Assistance Grant application until the outcome of your insurance claim is determined and formal advice of the claim outcome is provided. If you are eligible to claim under your insurance policy, you must do so, and have that claim finalised before lodging an application for grant assistance.
QRIDA administers financial assistance to disaster affected primary producers, businesses and non-profit organisations under the jointly funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).
Frequently asked questions
Primary producer means:
- a sole trader who spends the majority of their labour on, and derives the majority of their income from a primary production enterprise; or
- in relation to a partnership, company or trust that carries on a primary production enterprise, the partners in the partnership, shareholders in the company or beneficiaries of the trust who spend the majority of their labour on, and derive the majority of their income from, the primary production enterprise.
Normal staffing costs are ineligible unless they can demonstrate additional costs are incurred for clean-up and reinstatement purposes.
- Permanent employees (including permanent full-time and permanent part-time) – only the costs of additional hours worked (e.g. overtime or extra hours / days) to assist with the clean-up and reinstatement of the enterprise
- Contractors, casuals or temporary staff - who are engaged specifically for clean-up and reinstatement of the enterprise. If contractors, casuals or temporary staff are already employed, however, the day to day labour requirement which they were originally contracted to do has decreased or ceased altogether due to the eligible disaster, and they are assisting with clean up, these costs for clean-up and reinstatement purposes only may be eligible.
Evidence required could include payroll summary verifying staff and wage costs incurred for clean-up and reinstatement purposes only and signed by the applicant.
The Extraordinary Disaster Assistance Recovery Grants may be able to assist primary producers in re-establishing topsoil. Please contact QRIDA to discuss your circumstances.
Applicants who operate more than one primary production enterprise, for example under a single ABN at separate locations, may apply for assistance for each eligible separate business up to the maximum amount of assistance available for the relevant defined disaster area and determined by the establishment notice.
When determining an eligible separate business, QRIDA may consider (but is not limited to):
- the staffing arrangements of the separate property
- whether the property has its own plant equipment or stock
- the accounting arrangements of the separate property
- whether the separate property operates under its own trading name
- the commercial scale, viability and autonomy of each property.
QRIDA will consider each application on a case by case basis taking into account the particular circumstances.
A certificate of insurance and details of the claim are required to apply for this grant given the grant cannot cover repairs that will be covered by insurance. However, insurance excesses and items that are not covered by insurance may be eligible.
You may be eligible to apply for more than one grant if you were directly affected by both events. Please contact QRIDA 1800 623 946 or email contact_us@qrida.qld.gov.au
You are able to use relatives to repair your damage as long as transactions are retained at arm’s length and conducted in the same way as with any other contractor. Any contractors used must have an ABN and provide a tax invoice and official receipt for work completed. QRIDA may request additional information in these circumstances to confirm the validity of the claim.
The primary production business must generate the majority of your income, unless you can demonstrate the production potential of the business to eventually derive the majority of your income.
An example of the production potential of the business - you have planted a commercial size fruit orchard that is still maturing which will eventually provide the majority of your income.
Yes, a nursery is regarded as an eligible primary producer if they propagate the majority of their stock for sale. If the nursery is largely a retail outlet and principally sells other producers' stock, it would be regarded as a small business and may be eligible for that assistance.
Yes. You may claim operating costs for additional labour and for fuel and oil costs associated with repairing damage. However, funding may not be used to repair farm machinery damaged while undertaking repair works.
Fishers who have sustained direct damage to fishing equipment and vessels as a result of the disaster may be eligible for assistance. Assistance is not however available to compensate for loss of income due to inability to fish because of the event.
If your business has not experienced direct damage, but has suffered a significant loss of income or other impacts as a result of the disaster event, you may be eligible to apply for a Disaster Assistance (Essential Working Capital) Loan.
Yes, you are able to claim assistance for the actual costs of any additional labour or fuel and oil incurred in the use of this plant and equipment for clean-up and reinstatement activities for the disaster event.
Yes, you are entitled to a decision review. See reviewing a decision for more information.
Date extension notice: Applications for the Southern Queensland Flooding, 6 – 20 May 2022 now close 1 September 2023. Please be aware that no further extensions to this closing date will be made.
What assistance is available?
Grants of up to $50,000 are available for affected small businesses following the Southern Queensland Flooding, 6 – 20 May 2022 to hire or purchase equipment and materials, clean up, remove debris, replace or repair damaged infrastructure and stock and other costs associated with the recovery process. Businesses should take photographs of the direct damage to accompany their application/s.
Applicants need to show they are an eligible small business, within the defined disaster area and demonstrate they have suffered direct impact from the disaster. Read this page and the guidelines for more information.
If you are insured, full details and a copy of your insurance policy and/or claim must be provided. Please be aware that QRIDA may be unable to finalise your Disaster Assistance Grant application until the outcome of your insurance claim is determined and claim outcome is provided.
The maximum grant amount is $50,000 and can be accessed through the following:
- Initial application/s up to the total amount of $15,000 is available to support an initial claim. Evidence of the direct damage is required such as photographs and quotations, tax invoices or official receipts.
- Subsequent application/s up to the total amount of $35,000 is available to support subsequent claims for which full evidence of payment is required.
Complete applications are assessed in order of receipt and QRIDA may request further information to help assess an application.
How may the assistance help you?
Eligible clean-up, reinstatement activities and emergency measures include:
- Equipment and materials to undertake clean-up
- Additional labour costs (above and beyond normal wage expenditure i.e. day-to-day staffing)
- Disposing of damaged goods and stock, including associated costs
- Repairs to buildings (other than housing)
- Reconditioning/ repairing essential plant and equipment
- Purchase or hire/ lease costs for equipment essential to the immediate resumption of the business
- Payment for tradespeople to conduct safety inspections
- Essential repairs to premises and internal fittings that is not covered by insurance.
Am I eligible?
To be eligible for an exceptional circumstances grant, you must:
- be a small business owner
- hold an Australian Business Number (ABN) and have held that ABN at the time of the eligible disaster
- own a small business located in the defined disaster area for the eligible disaster that has suffered direct damage as a result of the eligible disaster
- have been engaged in carrying on the small business when affected by the eligible disaster
- be primarily responsible for meeting the costs claimed in the application and
- intend to re-establish the small business in the defined disaster area for the eligible disaster.
An applicant may also be eligible for an exceptional circumstances grant if both of the following apply:
- the small business is located outside the defined disaster area for the eligible disaster but is operated at least sometimes on a regular basis in the area; and
- plant or equipment of the small business situated in the defined disaster area has been damaged as a result of the eligible disaster.
What documents do I need to provide with my applications?
If you have already applied for assistance from QRIDA please provide your QRIDA Client ID Number. Please do not mail original documents as we are unable to return them.
Rates Notice / Lease Agreement
- Your small business must be located within a defined disaster area. If you own the property, please attach a copy of your most recent Local Government rates notice for the property impacted by the disaster event.
- If you lease the property, please attach a copy of your current lease agreement (lease agreement must confirm that you are responsible for meeting the costs being claimed).
Photographs of damage
- 5 - 10 photographs evidencing direct damage
Evidence of payment
- For grant applications up to $15,000 (i.e. for immediate resumption of business directly following the disaster event):
- Copies of tax invoices or quotes/estimates
- OR
For grant applications over $15,000 or subsequent applications up to $50,000:
- Copies of tax invoices AND evidence that these invoices have been paid (e.g. bank statements, electronic bank transfer confirmations or official supplier receipts).
Details of insurance
If insured, full details and a copy of your insurance policy and/or claim must be provided. Please be aware QRIDA is unable to finalise your Disaster Assistance Grant application until the outcome of your insurance claim is determined and formal advice of the claim outcome is provided. If you are eligible to claim under your insurance policy, you must do so, and have that claim finalised before lodging an application for grant assistance.
Defined disaster areas
The Minister for Fire and Emergency Services has activated disaster assistance for Southern Queensland Flooding, 6 – 20 May 2022.
To be eligible for assistance your property must be located in one of the defined disaster areas:
- Balonne Shire Council
- Gympie Regional Council
- Lockyer Valley Regional Council
- Moreton Bay Regional Council
- Somerset Regional Council
- Southern Downs Regional Council
- Toowoomba Regional Council
- Western Downs Regional Council.
QRIDA administers financial assistance to disaster affected primary producers, businesses and non-profit organisations under the jointly funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).
Frequently asked questions
Loss of income is not eligible under the Special Disaster Assistance Recovery Grant scheme. If your business has not experienced direct damage, but has suffered a significant loss of income as a result of the disaster event you may be eligible to apply for a Disaster Assistance (Essential Working Capital) Loan.
A certificate of insurance and details of the claim are required to apply for this grant given the grant cannot cover repairs that will be covered by insurance. However, insurance excesses and items that are not covered by insurance may be eligible.
You may be eligible to apply for more than one grant if you were directly affected by both events. Please contact QRIDA 1800 623 946 or email contact_us@qrida.qld.gov.au
Normal staffing costs are ineligible unless they can demonstrate additional costs are incurred for clean-up and reinstatement purposes.
- Permanent employees (including permanent full-time and permanent part-time) – only the costs of additional hours worked (e.g. overtime or extra hours / days) to assist with the clean-up and reinstatement of the enterprise
- Contractors, casuals or temporary staff - who are engaged specifically for clean-up and reinstatement of the enterprise. If contractors, casuals or temporary staff are already employed, however, the day to day labour requirement which they were originally contracted to do has decreased or ceased altogether due to the eligible disaster, and they are assisting with clean up, these costs for clean-up and reinstatement purposes only may be eligible.
Evidence required could include payroll summary verifying staff and wage costs incurred for clean-up and reinstatement purposes only and signed by the applicant.
Yes, however, you will need to provide satisfactory evidence of damage to your premises evidencing that you are unable to conduct your operations from that site and of costs associated with leasing or renting the temporary premises.
You are able to use relatives to repair your damage as long as transactions are retained at arm’s length and conducted in the same way as with any other contractor. Any contractors used must have an ABN and provide a tax invoice and official receipt for work completed. QRIDA may request additional information in these circumstances to confirm the validity of the claim.
Yes, you are entitled to a decision review. See reviewing a decision for more information.
Date extension notice: Applications for the Southern Queensland Flooding, 6 – 20 May 2022 now close 1 September 2023. Please be aware that no further extensions to this closing date will be made.
What assistance is available?
Grants of up to $50,000 are available for affected non-profit organisations following Southern Queensland Flooding, 6 – 20 May 2022 to hire or purchase equipment and materials, clean up, remove debris, repair or replace damaged infrastructure or goods and other costs associated with the recovery process. Organisations should take photographs of the direct damage to accompany their application/s.
Applicants need to show they are an eligible non-profit organisation, within the declared disaster area and demonstrate they have suffered direct impact from the disaster. Read below and the guidelines for more information.
The maximum grant amount is $50,000 and can be accessed through the following:
- Initial application/s up to the total amount of $15,000 is available to support an initial claim. Evidence of the direct damage is required such as photographs and quotations, tax invoices or official receipts.
- Subsequent application/s up to the total amount of $35,000 is available to support subsequent claims for which full evidence of payment is required.
Complete applications are assessed in order of receipt and QRIDA may request further information to help assess an application.
How may the assistance help you?
Eligible clean-up, reinstatement activities and emergency measures include:
- Equipment and materials to undertake clean-up
- Additional labour costs (above and beyond normal wage expenditure i.e. day-to-day staffing)
- Disposing of damaged goods and stock, including associated costs
- Repairs to buildings (other than housing)
- Purchase or hire/ lease costs for equipment essential to the immediate resumption of the business
- Payment for tradespeople to conduct safety inspections
- Essential repairs to premises and internal fittings that are not covered by insurance
- Replacement of lost or damaged stock if the replacement is essential for immediately resuming operations
- Leasing temporary premises for the purpose of resuming operation
Am I eligible?
To be eligible for an Extraordinary Disaster Assistance Recovery Grant, you as the applicant must:
- be a non-profit organisation
- have a non-profit organisation located in the defined area for the eligible disaster and have suffered direct damage as a result of the eligible disaster
- have been engaged in carrying on the non-profit organisation when affected by the eligible disaster
- be primarily responsible for meeting the costs claimed in the application
- be unable to repair or replace assets directly damaged as a result of the eligible disaster from the applicant’s own resources without assistance under the scheme; and
- intend to re-establish the organisation in the defined disaster area for the eligible disaster.
An applicant may also be eligible for an Extraordinary Disaster Assistance Recovery Grant if both of the following apply:
- The non-profit organisation is located outside the defined disaster area for the eligible disaster but carried on at least sometimes on a regular basis in the area.
- Plant or equipment of the non-profit organisation situated in the defined disaster area has been damaged as a result of the eligible disaster.
Defined disaster areas
The Minister for Fire and Emergency Services has activated disaster assistance for Southern Queensland Flooding, 6 – 20 May 2022.
To be eligible for assistance your property must be located in one of the defined disaster areas:
- Balonne Shire Council
- Gympie Regional Council
- Lockyer Valley Regional Council
- Moreton Bay Regional Council
- Somerset Regional Council
- Southern Downs Regional Council
- Toowoomba Regional Council
- Western Downs Regional Council.
QRIDA administers financial assistance to disaster affected primary producers, businesses and non-profit organisations under the jointly funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).
Frequently asked questions
Loss of income is not eligible under the Extraordinary Disaster Assistance Recovery Grant scheme.
A certificate of insurance and details of the claim are required to apply for this grant given the grant cannot cover repairs that will be covered by insurance. However, insurance excesses and items that are not covered by insurance may be eligible.
You may be eligible to apply for more than one grant if you were directly affected by both events. Please contact QRIDA 1800 623 946 or email contact_us@qrida.qld.gov.au
Applicants are able to apply for assistance under the scheme in only one of the following capacities:
- Primary producer; or
- Small business owner; or
- Non-profit organisation.
Yes, however, you will need to provide satisfactory evidence of damage to your premises evidencing that you are unable to conduct your operations from that site and of costs associated with leasing or renting the temporary premises.
You are able to use relatives to repair your damage as long as transactions are retained at arm’s length and conducted in the same way as with any other contractor. Any contractors used must have an ABN and provide a tax invoice and official receipt for work completed. QRIDA may request additional information in these circumstances to confirm the validity of the claim.
Yes, you are entitled to a decision review. See reviewing a decision for more information.
