January 2022 Queensland and NSW Flood Government Grant Assistance

Commonwealth Government Assistance

The Australian Government is working with New South Wales and Queensland state governments to support businesses affected by the recent South East Queensland and New South Wales floods.

Key websites

You can find links to applicable assistance programs through Business.gov.au’s Assistance for businesses affected by floods page. This page is being continuously updated so check back regularly for additional information.

New South Wales Assistance

Key websites

NSW Natural disaster declaration 

Disaster Assistance Finder

Support to businesses

Services NSW is providing storm and flood assistance for businesses. Disaster recovery assistance is available to businesses in NSW impacted by storms and floods. Businesses are encouraged to take photographs of visible damage as soon as it is safe to do so to assist in accessing support.

The NSW and Australian governments will be offering financial support to businesses or not-for-profit organisations impacted by the NSW storms and floods of January to March 2022 in eligible NSW local government areas.

Small business and not-for-profits in a NSW declared disaster area can access up to $50,000 to help pay for the costs of clean-up and reinstatement of operations. Different evidence is required based on the amount that you are applying for. Apply online here.

Additionally, small businesses can access concessional loans of up to $130,000, while not-for-profit organisations can access concessional loans of up of up to $25,000 and Sporting clubs can access concessional loans of up to $10,000.

Primary Producers

A Special Disaster Grant of up to $75,000 is available for primary producers impacted by the January to March floods available through the Rural Assistance Authority.

Assistance is available to 17 local government areas in NSW through the jointly funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA). 

Eligible primary producers can access $15,000 in assistance up-front, with a further $60,000 in financial assistance available thereafter upon submission of valid tax invoices. 

Primary producers can also access Concessional loans of up to $130,000 and Transport subsidies of up to $15,000.

Support to individuals

Services Australia is providing personal support to individuals and families affected by the declared disaster in NSW.

• Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment – a one-off payment to help people seriously affected by the Northern NSW floods starting in February 2022
• Disaster Recovery Allowance – for those who have lost income as a direct result of the Northern NSW floods in February 2022.

Queensland Assistance

Key websites

• Business Queensland
• The Department of Employment, Small Business and Training is collecting data about small business following the recent flooding event. You can take the Small Business impact survey to provide details on the impact of flooding to your business and the assistance you require.
• Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority

Support to businesses

The Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority has announced Disaster Recovery funding for small businesses in eligible defined areas that were directly impacted by the flooding.

If your business is located in one of the defined disaster areas as listed below, you may now apply for the following:

• extraordinary disaster assistance recovery grants of up to $50,000 (further information on this below)
• disaster assistance (essential working capital) loans of up to $100,000
• disaster assistance loans of up to $250,000 (or $100,000 for not-for-profits)

Small businesses

Extraordinary Disaster Assistance Recovery Grants

• The maximum grant amount is available through two separate applications. An initial amount of up to $15,000 is available to support an initial claim with evidence of the direct damage including:
  • photographs
  • quotes/estimates
  • tax invoices
  • official receipts.
• A subsequent amount of up to $35,000 is available to support subsequent applications for which full evidence of payment is required.
• Applications can be made online and close 5 September 2022.

For more information on the Small Business Recovery Grants, click here.

Primary Producers

The Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries has a number of financial assistance programs available for primary producers in disaster-declared areas. Additional support may be available to those in an area activated for assistance.

The Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority has also recently released funding for Primary Producers. Grants of up to $75,000 are available for affected producers to hire or purchase equipment and materials, clean up, remove debris, replace fencing and other costs associated with the recovery process. 

Financial assistance includes:

• Freight subsidies: up to $5,000 per property to move essential materials
• Natural Disaster Loans: Eligible primary producers can apply for natural disaster loans through QRIDA of up to $250,000 at a concessional rate.
• Essential Working Capital Loans: Eligible primary producers can apply for concessional loans through QRIDA to continue the normal operation of their primary production enterprise.
• Clean up and Recovery Grants: Producers in the worst hit areas may be eligible to apply for recovery grants through QRIDA to support clean up, restoration and recovery activities.  The size of these grants is determined at the time of the event.
• You may also be eligible for a deferral in rent or instalment.

Not-for-profits

Grants of up to $50,000 are available for affected non-profit organisations following the flooding, to hire or purchase equipment and materials, clean up, remove debris, repair or replace damaged infrastructure or goods and other costs associated with the recovery process. Organisations will need photographic evidence to prove their claims.

Applicants need to show they are an eligible non-profit organisation, within the declared disaster area and demonstrate they have suffered direct impact from the disaster.

Similarly to the small business recovery grant, the maximum grant amount is $50,000 and is available through two applications:

• An initial amount of up to $15,000 is available to support an initial claim. Evidence of the direct damage is required such as photographs, quotations, tax invoices or official receipts.
• A subsequent amount of up to $35,000 is available to support subsequent claims for which full evidence of payment is required.

You can find more information on the Not-for-profit Recovery Grant here.

Support to individuals

Services Australia is offering a number of assistance grants are available to individuals affected by the Queensland 2022 flood event:

• Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment – a one-off payment to help people seriously affected by the Queensland floods starting in February 2022
• Disaster Recovery Allowance – for those who have lost income as a direct result of the Queensland floods in February 2022.
• Resilient Residential Recovery Package – recently announced, this $741 million package will help Queenslanders rebuild their homes that were damaged by the flooding. Options for assistance include funding for retrofitting, house raising or the voluntary buy-back of homes at high risk from future floods. As part of this package, the Queensland Government will also increase its Category A Structural Assistance Grants from up to $14,684 to up to $50,000 for eligible Queensland households. Queensland Reconstruction Authority will manage this funding when applications are opened, so check back regularly for more information.

The Queensland State Government also offers a number of grants for individuals affected by the floods in activated disaster areas.