Disaster Relief Announced for Small Business

Joint State-Commonwealth Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA) have been extended to provide concessional loans to small businesses for carry-on and re-establishment costs in the 21 local government areas so far activated, with damage assessments now totalling almost $50 million in affected areas.

Emergency Services Minister Neil Roberts, said the activation would provide much needed financial assistance to help small business and assist their recovery.

“The relief measure enables eligible small business operators deemed unable to provide for their own recovery to access financial support to re-establish operations following physical loss,” Mr Roberts said.

“Applicants, if eligible, can access a maximum loan amount of $250,000 at an interest rate of four per cent over seven years.”

The NDRRA relief measures currently activated are restoration of essential public assets; counter disaster operations; and disaster relief assistance scheme.

More than 51 per cent, or 885,771 square kilometres, of Queensland is eligible for disaster relief funding.

Local government areas now eligible for NDRRA are: Barcoo, Barcaldine, Boulia, Burke, Carpentaria, Cairns, Cassowary Coast, Cloncurry, Cook, Croydon, Diamantina, Doomadgee, Etheridge, Flinders, Hinchinbrook, McKinlay, Mount Isa, Richmond, Tablelands, Townsville and Winton.

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