Extraordinary Disaster Assistance Recovery Grants - Tropical Cyclone Niran

No, replanting is not an eligible use of Extraordinary Disaster Assistance Grant funding. 

Disaster Assistance Loans are available for replanting.

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.

Loss of income is not eligible under the Extraordinary 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.

• Detail all the damage on the farm to demonstrate the need for assistance. This will also help with subsequent applications over and above the initial $15,000.
• Photographs of the direct damage are required. Photographs taken using a smartphone can be suitable – if unclear provide details of what is in the photos.
• For the initial amount of up to $15,000, you need to provide other evidence such as relevant quotes, estimates or tax invoices.
• If claiming a subsequent grant, then evidence of payment must be supplied for both the initial and subsequent grant amounts.
• Evidence of payment can be tax invoice(s) showing full details of the goods or services provided and evidence of payment for these tax invoices.

It is expected, where capacity exists to undertake your own clean-up and reinstatement using your own plant and equipment, that you would do so. You may claim for additional labour or fuel and oil costs incurred in the use of this equipment.

Contract work can only be considered as an eligible claim when the repairs cannot be undertaken utilising your own equipment.

Extraordinary Disaster Assistance Recovery Grants up to a maximum of $25,000 are available to assist eligible primary producers as follows:

• Initial amount of up to $15,000 - to assist with cleaning and reinstatement costs immediately following the disaster event, supported by evidence such as photographs, quotations, tax invoices and official receipts.
• Subsequent amount of up to $10,000 – to assist with additional cleaning and reinstatement costs. Applications must be supported by evidence of damage, invoices, proof of payment and insurances finalised.
• If claiming a subsequent grant, then evidence of payment must be supplied for both the initial and subsequent grant amounts. For further information, please refer to the scheme guidelines and application form.

You are able to use relatives with their own contracting business to repair your damage as long as transactions are at arm’s length and conducted in the same way as with any other contractor.

The Extraordinary Disaster Assistance Recovery Grant assistance does not cover repairing houses or repairing or replacing household goods.

However, you can apply for assistance to repair buildings that are used for staff accommodation. The repair of buildings must be essential for the immediate resumption of the primary production business. 

Yes, as long as you can demonstrate that you as tenant (lessee) are primarily responsible for the cost of the eligible clean-up and repairs.

A lease is a legal contract that defines in broad terms the responsibilities for landlord (lessor) and tenant (lessee) in relation to repairs and maintenance. Often such leases are supplemented with other documents outlining insurances, improvements and operational matters.

QRIDA also recognise that the lessor and lessee may from time to time agree to reassign responsibility for activities within the context of their lease arrangement if both parties concur.

An applicant is required to provide a copy of their lease and any other documents to QRIDA to demonstrate that they are primarily responsible for the eligible costs being claimed.

QRIDA may also accept a co-signed statutory declaration if this assists the applicant in demonstrating they are responsible for costs being claimed or they are unable to immediately resume farming activities without meeting the cost of reinstatement of the damaged property themselves.

Such a co-signed statutory declaration for an applicant who is the lessee (tenant) should clearly state:

1. That the lessor will not be meeting the costs of reinstatement of the damaged property for which the lessee (applicant) has made the grant application
2. That the applicant (lessee) cannot immediately resume business activities without meeting the cost of reinstatement of the damaged property themselves
3. The nature and extent of damage impacting on the immediate resumption of business activities
4. Details of the reinstatement costs being claimed by the applicant which differ from the existing lease contract or other documents outlining the liabilities/responsibilities of each party and which have been agreed between the parties
5. That these same costs are not covered by insurance or other government assistance.

Please note the statutory declaration does not guarantee approval of the application, but simply provides QRIDA with information clarifying liabilities and responsibilities in respect to a leased property, specifically relating to damage and costs, in order to undertake an assessment of a grant application.

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, 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.

Replacing plants lost or damaged as direct result of disaster in a commercial nursery (within primary producer definition) or in an on-farm nursery to enable the immediate resumption of enterprise. These plants include root stock, seedlings, seeds and tube stock. Proof that they were on the farm before the disaster and have been lost or damaged as direct result of disaster will need to be supplied.

Disaster Assistance Loans are available for replanting.

You may be eligible if you can establish that your properties are eligible separate businesses. 

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.

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 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, 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.