Disaster assistance extended for flood impacted Queenslanders

Farmers and small businesses hit by the monsoon and floods earlier this year now have more time to apply for assistance.

The grants of up to $75,000 for farmers and up to $50,000 for small businesses are also now available in Charters Towers and the Shire of Etheridge.

Minister for Natural Disaster and Emergency Management David Littleproud said an extension to 28 February 2020 would let more people to access Category C grants under the jointly funded Commonwealth-Queensland Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.

“The monsoon hit hard and we want to give communities the time they need to recover,” Minister Littleproud said

“The floods were like nothing I’d seen before. They created an inland sea across Northern Queensland killing hundreds of thousands of cattle.

“We’ll stand shoulder-to-shoulder with those communities until they’re back on their feet.

“This extension will give those communities the time they need to access this support.

“Anyone interested in applying should contact the Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority to check their eligibility.”

Queensland Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries Mark Furner said extending these deadlines demonstrated the Commonwealth and Queensland Governments’ commitment to supporting communities for the long term.

“Primary producers and small businesses are essential to the economy, especially in regional areas, and when recovering from a disaster of this magnitude it’s essential we enable long term, ongoing support,” Minister Furner said.

“The DRFA grants can be used for clean-up, re-stocking, repair and reconstruction of damaged facilities as well as replacing damaged equipment to help farmers get back on their feet.”

Queensland Minister for Employment and Small Business and Minister for Training and Skills Development Shannon Fentiman said rebuilding regional economies was vital in ensuring the long term recovery of Queensland.

“Small businesses are the foundation of regional communities and this grants will provided much needed support for businesses and communities, in impacted regions,” Ms Fentiman said.

“Impacted businesses can access this funding to assist with business planning, retraining, mentoring and advisory services, as well as new software and new equipment.”

DRFA grants of up to $75,000 are available to eligible primary producers in local government areas of Burdekin, Burke, Carpentaria, Charters Towers, Cloncurry, Douglas, Etheridge, Flinders, Hinchinbrook, McKinlay, Richmond, Townsville and Winton.

DRFA grants of up to $50,000 are available to eligible small businesses in Charters Towers, Etheridge, Cloncurry, Flinders, McKinlay, Richmond and Townsville.

In addition to the DRFA grants, affected primary producers can also access the Commonwealth’s Restocking, Replanting and On-farm Infrastructure co-contribution grants of up to $400,000, administered by the North Queensland Livestock Industry Recovery Agency (NQLIRA).

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