Extraordinary Disaster Assistance Recovery Grants are available to assist directly impacted primary producers and small businesses with the costs of clean-up and reinstatement.

Applications for the Extraordinary Disaster Assistance Recovery Grants have been extended to

29 December 2023.

What assistance is available?

Grants of up to $75,000 are available for affected producers following the Northern and Central Queensland Monsoon and Flooding, 20 December 2022 - 30 April 2023 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 $10,000 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 $65,000 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 to apply

Providing you have the required documentation and meet eligibility; you can apply for the grant over a number of applications or two separate applications.

Example 1:

If you have quotes to the value of $10,000, then you can make an initial application for the full $10,000.

If you only have quotes to the value of $9,000 and you’re expecting more quotes to come in later, you can submit an application for the first $9,000 and then submit a second application for the $1,000 when your next round of quotes come in

This initial amount is to support with cash flow back into the business with either deposit, small payments and more.

Example 2:

You have now spent the initial $10,000 on deposits and/or minor work and require additional funding to complete the work.

Once you have applied for and received the initial $10,000, you will be required to complete an additional application which involves acquitting the funds (letting us know how you spent the initial $10,000) and provide evidence such as receipts or invoices and proof of the payment of these, to support this next request for funds

You can apply for subsequent amounts as many times as you need until you reach the total amount.

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?

• Do you meet the definition of primary producer as outlined in the Guidelines?
• Do you hold an Australian Business Number (ABN) and have held that ABN at the time of the eligible disaster?
• Do you 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 you been engaged in carrying on the primary production enterprise when affected by the eligible disaster?
• Are you primarily responsible for meeting the costs you wish to claim in the application?
• Do you have evidence of damage (e.g. photos, videos etc.)?
• Do you intend to re-establish your primary production enterprise in the defined disaster area for the eligible disaster?

Take this example...

Thomas owns and operates a beef enterprise near Cloncurry. Thomas' primary production enterprise suffered severe damage when Northern and Central Queensland flooded. He lost a large portion of his livestock; his fences were destroyed, and important access roads were washed away.

Thomas took photos of the damage and has recently sought a few quotes for what everything will cost to be repaired or replaced. Many of these were in the form of casual emails sent to local fencing contractors, livestock agents and earthworks companies.

Hearing that QRIDA is administering grants of up to $75,000 to primary producers who were impacted by flooding and, realising he’s in one of the declared disaster areas, Thomas picks up the phone and chats to one of the QRIDA team about the application process and his eligibility. Because Thomas has photos and quotes ready to go, he can now submit them along with the required documentation for the first stage of the grant, totaling up to $10,000.

Thomas’s application for the $10,000 grant is approved and he uses the funds to start his recovery journey. He then pays for the repair of the further damage upfront and does this before he claims the second part of the grant. Thomas could be eligible for up to $65,000 in his subsequent grant application. Thomas gets his repairs done, paying $47,000 out of his pocket. Keeping his invoices, Thomas then submits a second application to QRIDA for the remaining portion of the grant so he can be reimbursed for the $47,000 he’s spent on his enterprise.

With the right documentation, the same assessor approves Thomas’ second application for the Extraordinary Disaster Assistance Recovery Grant. If Thomas has more invoices, he could submit a third application for the last $18,000 to round up to the total grant sum of $75,000.

Defined disaster area

The Minister for Fire and Emergency Services has activated disaster assistance for the Northern and Central Queensland Monsoon and Flooding, 20 December 2022 - 30 April 2023.

To be eligible for assistance your property must be located in one of the defined disaster areas:

• Burke Shire Council
• Boulia Shire Council
• Carpentaria Shire Council
• Cloncurry Shire Council
• Doomadgee Aboriginal Shire Council
• Mornington Shire Council
• Mount Isa City 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 $10,000 (i.e. for immediate resumption of business directly following the disaster event):

Copies of tax invoices or quotes/estimates

OR

• For grant applications over $10,000 or subsequent applications up to $65,000

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).