JOINT MEDIA STATEMENT: Disaster loans and hardship grants activated in response to western Queensland floods

Disaster loans and hardship grants activated in response to western Queensland floods

• Loans and freight subsidies for primary producers in nine flood affected western Queensland council areas.
• Personal Hardship Assistance for Barcoo, Bulloo, Quilpie and Winton residents to cover emergency essentials and other household impacts.
• Support is through the joint Commonwealth-state Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).

The Australian and Queensland Governments are activating concessional loans and freight subsidies to help primary producers in nine western Queensland Local Government Areas recover from recent flooding.

Funded by the Australian and Queensland Governments under the joint Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA), the support is available to eligible producers in Barcoo, Boulia, Bulloo, Diamantina, Longreach, Murweh, Paroo, Quilpie, and Winton.

Disaster Assistance Loans up to $250,000 and Essential Working Capital Loans up to $100,000 are available to assist farmers with the repair or replacement of damaged assets, and for loss of income, while freight subsides up to $5,000 can be accessed too.

This comes after the region experienced more than a year’s worth of rainfall in roughly a week, with many landholders remaining isolated and facing significant livestock losses.

Personal Hardship Assistance is also now available for eligible flood impacted residents in Barcoo, Bulloo, Quilpie and Winton.

This support includes a range of grants to assist with the purchase of emergency essentials, the replacement of damaged household items, and income-tested assistance for property structural repairs and the reconnection of essential services.

Federal Minister for Emergency Management Jenny McAllister said the Commonwealth was working quickly with the Queensland Government to support communities impacted by the flooding in western Queensland.

“Primary producers are central to the western Queensland community and this assistance will support them to repair damage and get back on their feet.

“Personal hardship assistance will also support impacted residents with the cost of replacing emergency essentials and other damaged items.

“It is still a dynamic situation and I urge all in the community to listen to warnings and stay up to date.

Queensland Minister for Disaster Recovery Ann Leahy said flooded communities in western Queensland would be supported now and well after the waters had receded.

“This support is part of the Crisafulli Government’s commitment to ensuring everyone in western Queensland affected by these floods gets the help they need to get back on track,” Minister Leahy said.

“We’ve been communicating daily with councils, producers and communities to understand impacts on the ground and what assistance is required.

“Recovering from flooding takes time, but by activating this funding fast we are making sure the process can move swiftly.”

Primary producers can contact QRIDA (ww.qrida.qld.gov.au; 1800 623 946) for disaster loans, and Queensland’s Department of Primary Industries (www.daf.qld.gov.au; 13 25 23) for freight subsidies.

Residents of Barcoo, Bulloo, Quilpie and Winton Shires can check their eligibility for personal hardship and apply via www.qld.gov.au/disasterhelp or by phoning 1800 173 349.

More information on DRFA financial support available:

Disaster Assistance and Essential Working Capital Loans

• Disaster Assistance Loans up to $250,000 for primary producers to repair or replace damaged plant and equipment, repair premises, replace stock, and maintain liquidity.
• Concessional loans up to $100,000 for primary producers to maintain operations, including paying wages, rents or rates, purchasing items like fuel, fodder and water, or for the transportation of livestock and produce.

Freight subsidies

• Up to $5,000 for primary producers to assist with the movement of stock, feed, machinery, fuel, water, and building or fencing materials.

Personal Hardship Assistance Scheme

• Emergency Hardship Assistance – $180 per person, up to $900 for a family of five or more to purchase immediate essentials like food, clothing and medicine.
• Essential Services Hardship Assistance – $150 per person, up to $750 for a family of five or more to assist with immediate needs following the loss of essential services at home for more than five consecutive days.
• Essential Household Contents Grants – up to $1,765 for individuals and up to $5,300 for couples or families to replace destroyed essential household contents such as bed linen and whitegoods.
• Structural Assistance Grants – up to $80,000 for uninsured, income-tested owner-occupiers towards the repair or replacement of a disaster damaged dwelling to return it to a safe and habitable condition.

Essential Services Safety and Reconnection Scheme

• Income-tested grants to help uninsured residents reconnect damaged services like electricity, gas, water or sewerage. Up to $5,000 per household.

ENDS

MEDIA CONTACT:
Minister McAllister: Alex West 0499 870 544
Minister Leahy: Kate Haddan 0437 334 769