Disaster Assistance Grants are now available to assist directly impacted small businesses, primary producers, and non-profits with the costs of clean-up and recovery. The grant amount and eligibility differ, depending on which category you fall into. You will need to be able to show you are one of the three eligible categories and have suffered a direct impact from the disaster. Applications close 5th September 2022.
To be eligible for assistance, you must be located in one of the following disaster areas:
- Brisbane City Council
- Fraser Coast Regional Council
- Gold Coast City Council
- Gympie Regional Council
- Ipswich City Council
- Lockyer Valley Regional Council
- Logan City Council
- Moreton Bay Regional Council
- Noosa Shire Council
- North Burnett Regional Council
- Redland City Council
- Scenic Rim Regional Council
- Somerset Regional Council
- South Burnett Regional Council
- Southern Downs Regional Council
- Sunshine Coast Regional Council
- Toowoomba Regional Council
Primary Producers
What is available?
Grants of up to $75,000 are available to impacted producers. The money can be used to hire or purchase equipment, materials, clean up, remove debris, replace fencing, salvaging crops, repairs not covered by insurance and other associated recovery costs.
The maximum amount of $75,000 is available through two applications.
- Initial payment of $15,000 – you must provide photographs, quotes, tax invoices or receipts
- An additional amount of up to $60,000 – you must provide full evidence including the above plus tax invoices and evidence that they have been paid, for example bank statements or supplier receipts.
Eligibility Criteria
You will need to show you are an eligible primary producer, within a declared disaster area (see list above) and be able to demonstrate you have suffered a direct impact. You are not eligible for assistance if you are entitled to receive a payment under an insurance policy. However, you may be eligible for a grant for costs that are not covered by insurance, or for amounts more than the value insured. You must also fulfil each of the following criteria:
- 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 disaster that has suffered direct damage as a result of the 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
- Provide satisfactory evidence of the loss of damage
- Intend to re-establish the primary production enterprise in the defined disaster area for the disaster.
Evidence required for your application
You will need to provide evidence with your application. Items that will be required include rates notice or lease agreement, 5-10 photographs of the damage, financial statements, and tax returns. Further, if you are insured, you must provide full details and a copy of your insurance policy and/or claim.
Small Businesses
What is available?
Grants of up to $50,000 are available for small businesses who have been impacted. The money can be used to hire or purchase equipment, materials, additional labor costs, remove debris, repair damaged infrastructure and disposing of damaged stock.
The maximum amount of $50,000 is available through two applications.
- Initial payment of $15,000 – you must provide photographs, quotes, tax invoices or receipts
- An additional amount of up to $35,000 – you must provide full evidence including the above plus tax invoices and evidence that they have been paid, for example bank statements or supplier receipts.
Eligibility Criteria
- Be a small business owner
- Hold an Australian business number (ABN) and have held that ABN at the time of the disaster
- Own a small business located in the defined disaster area for the eligible disaster that has suffered direct damage because of the 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
- Intend to re-establish the small business in the defined disaster area for the eligible disaster
Evidence required for your application
You must provide photographs in your application along with tax invoices or quotes. Further, you will need to provide your most recent rates notice for the impacted property OR a lease agreement if you are renting the property. If you are insured, you must provide full details and a copy of your insurance policy and/or claim.
Non-Profits
What is available?
Grants of up to $50,000 are available for non-profit organizations. The money can be used to hire or purchase equipment and materials, repair or replace damaged infrastructure and other recovery costs.
The maximum amount of $50,000 is available through two applications.
- Initial payment of $15,000 – you must provide photographs, quotes, tax invoices or receipts
- An additional amount of up to $35,000 – you must provide full evidence of payment for example bank statements or supplier receipts.
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants in this category 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. You must fulfil the following:
- Be a non-profit organisation
- Have a non-profit organisation located in the defined area for the eligible disaster and have suffered direct damage from the 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 disaster from the applicant’s own resources without assistance under the scheme
- Intend to re-establish the organisation in the defined disaster area for the eligible disaster.
Evidence required for your application
You must provide photographs in your application along with tax invoices or quotes. Further, you will need to provide your most recent rates notice for the impacted property OR a lease agreement if you are renting the property. If you are insured, you must provide full details and a copy of your insurance policy and/or claim.
For more information please go to Queensland Rural & Industry Development Authority (QRIDA).
Lump Sum Disaster Recovery Payment for Individuals
Adult individuals can apply for a lump sum payment of $1,000 if they have been significantly affected by the SEQ Floods and meet all eligibility criteria. Children under the age of 16 can receive $400 each.
Your principal place of residence must be one of the below local government areas:
- Brisbane
- Bundaberg
- Cherbourg
- Fraser Coast
- Gladstone
- Gold Coast
- Goondiwindi
- Gympie
- Ipswich
- Lockyer Valley
- Logan
- Moreton Bay
- Noosa
- North Burnett
- Redland
- Scenic Rim
- Somerset
- South Burnett
- Southern Downs
- Sunshine Coast
- Toowoomba
- Western Downs
Eligibility
- You must be an Australian resident who is 16 years or older
- You meet local government area rules
- You are claiming this payment for the first time
- You must be seriously affected;
- Suffered serious injury
- Immediate family member has died or is missing
- Major damage has impacted your home
For more information on the disaster recovery lump sum payment, please go to Services Australia.
Comments are closed.