Financial assistance is now available for flood-affected primary producers and small business owners in some of the hardest hit regions of Queensland, including Bundaberg.
This assistance will help with the economic impacts that these devastating floods have had on local businesses and the wider community.
Primary producers and small businesses in the local government areas of Bundaberg, Banana, Fraser Coast, Gladstone, Gold Coast, Gympie, Ipswich, Lockyer Valley, Logan City, Moreton Bay, North Burnett, Redland, Rockhampton, Scenic Rim, Somerset, South Burnett, Southern Downs, Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba and Western Downs will be able to apply for concessional loans under the jointly funded Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements.
Concessional loans up to $250,000 can assist re-establish primary production enterprises by covering costs such as repairing or replacing damaged plant and equipment, repairing or replacing buildings, purchasing livestock to replace those lost in the disaster event and re-planting, restoring or re-establishing areas affected by the disaster event.
For small business, these loans can be used purposes such as repairing or replacing damaged plant and equipment, repairing or replacing buildings, supplying stock for up to one month to replace lost stock and maintain liquidity of the business.
Primary producers in these areas will also be eligible to apply for freight subsidies.
Small businesses in the Brisbane City Local Government Area are also able to apply for concessional loans
Personal Hardship and Distress payments for food, clothing, accommodation and medical supplies of $180 for individuals and $900 for couples/families is now also available in the Goondiwindi local government area.
Assistance has also been extended to more councils to help with the clean-up and the restoration of essential public assets as part of the longer term reconstruction effort.
There are now 50 local government areas eligible for various types of assistance across Queensland.
- Personal Hardship and Distress assistance is available in the 22 local government areas of: Banana, Brisbane City, Bundaberg, Fraser Coast, Gladstone, Gold Coast, Goondiwindi, Gympie, Ipswich, Lockyer Valley, Logan, Moreton Bay, North Burnett, Redland, Rockhampton, Scenic Rim, Somerset, South Burnett, Southern Downs, Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba and Western Downs.
- Concessional Interest Rate Loans and Freight Subsidies for Primary Producers are available in the 20 local government areas of: Banana, Bundaberg, Fraser Coast, Gladstone, Gold Coast, Gympie, Ipswich, Lockyer Valley, Logan, Moreton Bay, North Burnett, Redland, Rockhampton, Scenic Rim, Somerset, South Burnett, Southern Downs, Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba and Western Downs.
- Concessional Interest Rate Loans for Small Business are available in the 21 local government areas of: Banana, Brisbane City, Bundaberg, Fraser Coast, Gladstone, Gold Coast, Gympie, Ipswich, Lockyer Valley, Logan, Moreton Bay, North Burnett, Redland, Rockhampton, Scenic Rim, Somerset, South Burnett, Southern Downs, Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba and Western Downs.
- Counter Disaster Operations assistance to councils and State government agencies is available in the 42 local government areas of: Aurukun, Banana, Brisbane City, Bundaberg, Burdekin, Burke, Cairns, Carpentaria, Cassowary Coast, Central Highlands, Cherbourg, Cook, Fraser Coast, Gladstone, Hinchinbrook, Isaac, Ipswich, Gympie, Kowanyama, Lockhart River, Lockyer Valley, Logan, Mackay, Mapoon, Moreton Bay, Napranum, North Burnett, Palm Island, Pormpuraaw, Redlands, Rockhampton, Scenic Rim, Somerset, South Burnett, Southern Downs, Sunshine Coast, Tablelands, Toowoomba,Torres Shire, Torres Strait Island, Western Downs and Whitsunday.
- Restoration of Essential Public Assets assistance to councils and State government agencies is available in the 33 local government areas of: Aurukun, Banana, Burdekin, Burke, Carpentaria, Central Highlands, Cherbourg, Cloncurry, Cook, Doomadgee, Fraser Coast, Gladstone, Gympie, Hinchinbrook, Hope Vale, Kowanyama, Lockhart River, Lockyer Valley, Mapoon, McKinlay Mornington, Napranum, North Burnett, Palm Island, Rockhampton, Scenic Rim, Somerset, South Burnett, Southern Downs, Toowoomba, Torres Strait Island, Western Downs and Wujal Wujal.
NDRRA assistance will be extended to other communities if they are impacted.
More information about the assistance that available in each affected local government area can be found on the Disaster Assist website .
More information about how to apply for concessional loans and freight subsidies is available on the Queensland Government website and the Queensland Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry website .
More information about how to apply for hardship and distress payments is also available on the Queensland Government website .