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Disaster Assistance Loans

Disaster Assistance Loans are available to assist primary producers, small businesses and non-profit organisations with re-establishing normal operations. 

A man wearing gum boots and trousers walks through shallow flood water

Loan features

Loan amount Maximum of $250,000
Loan term Up to 10 years
Repayments If needed, up to two years interest only may be available.
Security A loan under the scheme must be secured by a mortgage of land and other assets satisfactory to QRIDA.
Fees No establishment fees, no account maintenance fees and no fees for early payout. 

    What assistance is available?

    Concessional loans are provided to assist you to re-establish the normal operations of your primary production enterprise by covering costs such as: 

    • repairing or replacing damaged plant and equipment 
    • repairing or replacing farm buildings 
    • purchasing livestock to replace those lost in the disaster event 
    • meeting carry-on requirements including: 
      • re-planting, restoring or re-establishing areas affected by the disaster event 
      • sustenance 
      • essential property operations 
      • paying rent and rates

    Defined disaster areas 

    The Minister for Fire and Emergency Services has activated disaster assistance for primary producers for the following events:

    Ex-Tropical Cyclone Seth, 7 – 10 January 2022

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

    • Bundaberg Regional Council
    • Fraser Coast Regional Council
    • Gympie Regional Council
    • North Burnett Regional Council
    • South Burnett Regional Council

    Applications close 31 December 2023.

    Central, Southern and Western Queensland Rainfall and Flooding, 10 November – 3 December 2021

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

    • Banana Shire Council
    • Bundaberg Regional Council
    • Goondiwindi Regional Council
    • Lockyer Valley Regional Council
    • Scenic Rim Regional Council
    • South Burnett Regional Council
    • Southern Downs Regional Council
    • Toowoomba Regional Council
    • Western Downs Regional Council

    Applications close 31 December 2023.

    Southern Queensland Severe Weather, 20 - 31 March 2021

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

    • Goondiwindi Regional Council
    • Southern Downs Regional Council

    Applications close 31 December 2022.

    Tropical Cyclone Niran and Associated Low Pressure System, 25 February - 3 March 2021

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

    • Cairns Regional Council
    • Cassowary Coast Regional Council
    • Hinchinbrook Regional Council
    • Mareeba Shire Council
    • Tablelands Regional Council

    Applications close 31 December 2022.

    Apply now

    If you need assistance completing your application please contact QRIDA.

    QRIDA administers financial assistance to disaster affected primary producers, businesses and non-profit organisations under the joint Commonwealth / Queensland Government funded Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements 2018.

    Frequently asked questions

    View all FAQs

    • Exceptional Disaster Assistance Loans, Disaster Assistance Loans or Extraordinary Bushfire Assistance Loans are available to the primary production business entity and not to each farm making up the business.

    • Yes, if your insurance claim is being delayed, you can apply for a loan to reinstate your business before your claim is finalised. If any expenses included in your loan are later recovered from insurance, QRIDA will require these amounts be repaid to your loan.

    • In order to give you the best chance of success, QRIDA needs to understand the historical performance of your business, your current position and your plan moving forward. Without this information, QRIDA would be unable to determine the level of assistance you need and your prospects of returning to a viable business with the assistance provided. 

    • Freecall 1800 623 946 for assistance with your loan application. Alternatively, your accountant, bank or financial or business advisor may also be able to assist with your application also.

    • A Disaster Assistance Loan of up to $250,000 is available to assist primary production businesses who have experienced direct damage as a result of the disaster event. This loan can be utilised to fund repair and reinstatement costs for your business, and to meet normal operating expenses that the business is unable to meet due to the impact of the disaster event (e.g. lease payments, property rates, creditors).

      An Essential Working Capital (EWC) Loan of up to $100,000 is available to assist primary production businesses who have not experienced direct damageas a result of the disaster event but have experienced a negative impact on their normal business cashflow and are consequently unable to meet normal operating expenses (e.g. lease payments, property rates, wages, creditors). For example, a primary production businesses may be eligible for an EWC Loan if their farms were not physically impacted by the disaster event however the business suffered a significant loss of income throughout the disaster period. The business may not be able to meet normal operating expenses within its existing credit limits. These requirements over and above your existing credit limits can be met by the EWC loan.

    • Firstly, QRIDA assesses applications based on the future viability of the business with the assistance provided. Security is the second consideration. Preferably security is available over landed assets, however, security over other business assets may be acceptable.

    • Yes, the cashflow budget template provided by QRIDA is not mandatory. If you have your own cashflow budget template then you are able to provide this to QRIDA as part of your loan application. However, please note that an itemised monthly cashflow is required for all applications, preferably in a financial year (July to June) format.

       

    Get in touch

    Have a question, need some help or would like more information? We're here to help you.

    News, events & stories

    Related information
    Central, Southern and Western Queensland Rainfall and Flooding Activation summa…
    Queensland Reconstruction Authority

    Loan features

    Loan amount Maximum of $250,000
    Loan term Up to 10 years
    Repayments If needed, up to two years interest only may be available.
    Security A loan under the scheme must be secured by a mortgage of land and other assets satisfactory to QRIDA.
    Fees No establishment fees, no account maintenance fees and no fees for early payout.

      What assistance is available? 

      Concessional loans are provided to assist you to re-establish the normal operations of your small business by covering costs such as: 

      • repairing or replacing damaged plant and equipment 
      • repairing or replacing buildings 
      • supplying stock for up to one month to replace lost stock and maintain liquidity of the business 
      • meeting carry-on requirements including: 
        • sustenance 
        • paying rent and rates. 

      Defined disaster areas

      The Minister for Fire and Emergency Services has activated disaster assistance for:

      Ex-Tropical Cyclone Seth, 7 – 10 January 2022

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

      • Bundaberg Regional Council
      • Fraser Coast Regional Council
      • Gympie Regional Council
      • North Burnett Regional Council
      • South Burnett Regional Council

      Applications close 31 December 2023.

      Central, Southern and Western Queensland Rainfall and Flooding, 10 November – 3 December 2021

      To be eligible for assistance your property must be located in the following defined disaster area:

      • Goondiwindi Regional Council

      Applications close 31 December 2023.

      QRIDA administers financial assistance to disaster affected primary producers, businesses and non-profit organisations under the joint Commonwealth / Queensland Government funded Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements 2018.

      Apply now

      If you need assistance completing your application please contact QRIDA.

      Frequently asked questions

      View all FAQs

      • Yes, if your insurance claim is being delayed, you can apply for a loan to reinstate your business before your claim is finalised. If any expenses included in your loan are later recovered from insurance, QRIDA will require these amounts be repaid to your loan.

      • Exceptional Disaster Assistance Loans, Disaster Assistance Loans or Extraordinary Bushfire Assistance Loans are available to the primary production business entity and not to each farm making up the business.

      • In order to give you the best chance of success, QRIDA needs to understand the historical performance of your business, your current position and your plan moving forward. Without this information, QRIDA would be unable to determine the level of assistance you need and your prospects of returning to a viable business with the assistance provided. 

      • Firstly, QRIDA assesses applications based on the future viability of the business with the assistance provided. Security is the second consideration. Preferably security is available over landed assets, however, security over other business assets may be acceptable.

      • Yes, the cashflow budget template provided by QRIDA is not mandatory. If you have your own cashflow budget template then you are able to provide this to QRIDA as part of your loan application. However, please note that an itemised monthly cashflow is required for all applications, preferably in a financial year (July to June) format.

         

      • A Disaster Assistance Loan of up to $250,000 is available to assist primary production businesses who have experienced direct damage as a result of the disaster event. This loan can be utilised to fund repair and reinstatement costs for your business, and to meet normal operating expenses that the business is unable to meet due to the impact of the disaster event (e.g. lease payments, property rates, creditors).

        An Essential Working Capital (EWC) Loan of up to $100,000 is available to assist primary production businesses who have not experienced direct damageas a result of the disaster event but have experienced a negative impact on their normal business cashflow and are consequently unable to meet normal operating expenses (e.g. lease payments, property rates, wages, creditors). For example, a primary production businesses may be eligible for an EWC Loan if their farms were not physically impacted by the disaster event however the business suffered a significant loss of income throughout the disaster period. The business may not be able to meet normal operating expenses within its existing credit limits. These requirements over and above your existing credit limits can be met by the EWC loan.

      • Freecall 1800 623 946 for assistance with your loan application. Alternatively, your accountant, bank or financial or business advisor may also be able to assist with your application also.

      Get in touch

      Have a question, need some help or would like more information? We're here to help you.

      News, events & stories

      Related information
      Central, Southern and Western Queensland Rainfall and Flooding Activation summa…
      Queensland Reconstruction Authority
      Last updated
      11 January 2022