Regional Drought Resilience Planning Scheme
The Regional Drought Resilience Planning Scheme provides co-contribution grants of up to $450,000 for eligible entities to implement a regional drought resilience plan for the purpose of improving the drought resilience of Queensland regions.
Program information
The Regional Drought Resilience Planning Scheme (the Scheme) aims to support entities in developing a draft regional drought resilience plan (draft Plan) and implementing the activities identified in a regional drought resilience plan (Plan) to increase preparedness for future drought disruptions. By prioritising planning, the negative impacts of drought on communities and industries located in regional Queensland can be reduced, leading to faster and more successful recoveries from disaster.
QRIDA is administering the Regional Drought Resilience Planning Scheme on behalf of the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF).
Applicants must have the grant project assessed by DAF prior to application to ensure the project is eligible.
Activity Grant
An activity grant is a grant for financial assistance for the implementation of eligible activities identified in a regional drought resilience plan.
The maximum amount of assistance for the activity grant is $300,000 (plus GST).
Remuneration Grant
A remuneration grant is a grant for financial assistance for the wages, salary or fees involved in the development of a draft Plan, or the implementation of eligible activities identified in a Plan.
The maximum amount of assistance for the remuneration grant is $150,000 (plus GST).
Applicants can apply for assistance for both the activity and remuneration grant.
Eligibility criteria
To be eligible for the activity grant for a Plan, the applicant must:
- be an eligible entity (e.g. local government, natural resource management organisation) and be party to a Plan;
- have identified in the Plan, eligible activities that will improve drought resilience for the region; and
- have received written notice from DAF (the eligibility notice) advising that the eligible activities identified in the Plan are eligible to receive assistance.
To be eligible for the remuneration grant for a Plan, the applicant must:
- be an eligible entity (e.g. local government, natural resource management organisation);
- have identified activities in the Plan relating to the wages, salary or fees the entity pays a person to carry out the eligible activities that will improve drought resilience in the region; and
- have received written notice from DAF advising that the eligible activities identified in the Plan are eligible to receive assistance.
To be eligible for the remuneration grant for a draft plan, the applicant must:
- be an eligible entity;
- have submitted a draft regional drought resilience plan to the Commonwealth Minister for drought; and
- have received advice from the Commonwealth Minister for drought advising that the draft plan will need to be amended to be approved as a Plan.
Eligible activities must be implemented by 30 March 2025.
The Regional Drought Resilience Program is jointly funded by the Australian Government Future Drought Fund and the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF).
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you are entitled to a decision review. See reviewing a decision for more information.
QRIDA will contact you via telephone, email, SMS or post. If you are concerned about whether the contact you have received is genuine, please contact QRIDA on 1800 623 946 and ask to speak with your Portfolio Manager.
If your application is successful QRIDA will pay the funds to your nominated bank account.
You must immediately notify QRIDA if there is a change to the scope of the project. Please contact us here, and ask to speak to your Portfolio Manager.
Applicants are required to have the regional drought resilience plan approved by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF), as this allows for actions to be further scoped out from that outlined in the published plan, hence an action may not appear exactly as it is named in the Plan.
If you are successful in receiving a grant you will be required to enter into a legally binding funding agreement with QRIDA. For more information on your grant obligations, please read the guidelines.
These grants are seed grants only available to those organisations that are signatories to a regional drought resilience plan. All organisations that are signatory to the regional drought resilience plan must agree to the lead organisation to be the grant applicant.
QRIDA is committed to ensuring due administrative processes are undertaken with the decisioning of applications for Government assistance.
When making decisions on applications, as well as the internal review of a decision, QRIDA follows the QRIDA Decision-Making Policy and Procedure.
You can view this Policy and Procedure on the Reviewing a decision page.
