Were you impacted by the 2022-23 Northern and Central Queensland monsoon and flooding events?

A range of assistance is now available for people, businesses and communities impacted by the Northern and Central Queensland monsoon and flooding events.

 

Helping Australians recover from devastating natural hazards is a national priority

From December 20, 2022, a monsoonal trough brought extensive flooding across large areas of Northern and Central Queensland.

The Northern and Central Queensland area is no stranger to flooding events, the level of destruction caught the nation’s attention with tales of people being stranded thousands of kilometres away and the images of large stretches of roads and areas being submerged.

Recovery in this area will take some time, and NEMA – in partnership with the Queensland Government, through the Queensland Reconstruction Authority - will continue to support communities as they recover.

 

Supporting recovering communities

The Queensland Government, through the Queensland Reconstruction Authority, continues to assess the impact of the flooding to determine the best ways to support recovery.

The Australian Government activated financial assistance in the form of the Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment (AGDRP) and Disaster Recovery Allowance (DRA).

Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment is a one-off, non-means tested payment of $1,000 per eligible adult and $400 per child.
 

• It is available in the three (3) local government areas of Boulia, Burke and Mount Isa.
   

Disaster Recovery Allowance is a short-term income support payment to help people who have lost income as a direct result of the disaster.
 

• It is available in the seven (7) local government areas of Boulia, Burke, Carpentaria, Cloncurry, Doomadgee, Mornington and Mount Isa.
   

You can find out more about the AGDRP and DRA on the Services Australia website.

 

Joint Commonwealth-State assistance was activated through the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) for forty-five (45) Local Government Areas – Aurukun, Barcaldine, Barcoo, Blackall-Tambo, Boulia, Burdekin, Burke, Cairns, Carpentaria, Cassowary Coast, Central Highlands, Charters Towers, Cook, Cloncurry, Croydon, Diamantina, Doomadgee, Douglas, Etheridge, Flinders, Hope Vale, Isaac, Kowanyama, Livingstone, Lockhart River, Longreach, Mackay, Mapoon, Mareeba, McKinlay, Mornington, Mount Isa, Napranum, Northern Peninsula, Palm Island, Pormpuraaw, Richmond, Tablelands, Torres, Torres Strait Island, Townsville, Whitsunday, Winton, Wujal Wujal and Yarrabah.

Support for Northern and Central Queensland includes emergency relief grants and hardship assistance for individuals, loans for small businesses and primary producers, support for councils, assistance with removing debris and support for reconnection and reconstruction of essential public assets.

Under Category D of the DRFA, the Australian and Queensland governments are also providing:

• Primary producer recovery grants: up to $75,000 to assist with costs associated with clean up and reinstatement (est. $4.5 million)
• Livestock support and disposal program: to support primary producers with costs associated with undertaking livestock welfare activities including fodder provision and carcass disposal (est. $6 million)
• Small Business and Not-for-profit organisation grants: up to $50,000 to support not-for-profit organisations and small businesses directly impacted by the floods (est. $1.5 million)
   

Detailed break-down of assistance:

Central and Northern Queensland monsoon and flooding (20 December 2022 – March 2023)

AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE 

Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment (AGDRP)  One off payment of $1000 for eligible adults and $400 for children.  Equivalent assistance for New Zealand ‘non-protected’ special category visa (subclass 444) holders.  As of midnight 14 May, 1,556 AGDRP payments have been made, worth $1,965,000. Claims are open until 15 September 2023. Visit the Services Australia website to apply.

Disaster Recovery Allowance (DRA)  Up to 13 weeks of income support payments to eligible employees and sole traders.  Equivalent assistance for New Zealand ‘non-protected’ special category visa (subclass 444) holders.  As of midnight 14 May, 32 DRA payments have been made, worth a total of $102,723. Claims are open until 15 September 2023. Visit the Services Australia website to apply.

JOINT AUSTRALIAN AND QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE 

To find out what assistance is being provided by the Queensland Government, including under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements, visit QRA Activations.

Emergency relief assistance (DRFA Category A)  Helps support people who have been evacuated or who need assistance due to the disaster, to meet their immediate and basic needs. This may include food, essential clothing, and other personal items including medical and/or pharmaceutical items, access to communications, transport, and document replacement costs.

Essential Services Safety and Reconnection Scheme  Help for safety inspection and repairs to reconnect essential services e.g. gas, water, electricity and sewage. Grant amount: Inspection costs - $200 for safety inspection for water, electricity, gas and sewage. Up to $5,300 for couples or families $4,200 for repairs or replacement of these services.

Structural assistance grant  Assistance to help with structural repairs or contribution towards replacement of dwelling. Grant amount: Uninsured, low income, owner-occupiers may receive up to a maximum of $50,000 to help repair your home to make it safe, secure and habitable.

Removal of debris (DRFA Category A)  Assists residents whose properties are directly impacted by the disaster to make them safe and habitable. This may include assistance with clean up inside and immediately outside the home, removal of fallen trees and green waste because of the disaster and removal of event-related building materials and debris.

Primary producer recovery grants (DRFA Category D)  Provides up to $75,000 for primary producers to assist with costs associated with clean up and reinstatement

Small Business and Not-for-profit organisation grants (DRFA Category D)  Provides up to $50,000 to support directly impacted not-for-profit organisations and small businesses

Livestock support and disposal program (DRFA Category D)  Supports primary producers with costs associated with undertaking livestock welfare activities including fodder provision and carcass disposal

Assistance for primary producers and small businesses Disaster Assistance Loans Concessional interest rate loans of up to $250,000 to assist primary producers and small businesses whose assets have been significantly damaged to recover and return to viable operations. Disaster Assistance (Essential Working Capital) Loans Concessional interest rate loans of up to $100,000 to primary producers and small businesses who have suffered a significant loss of income to enable essential working capital required to continue business operations. Freight subsidies for primary producers Subsidies to assist with the transportation of emergency fodder for livestock, fodder or water for livestock and for additional operational necessities.

Assistance to State Agencies and Local Councils  (DRFA Category B)   Counter disaster operations:   Helps state agencies and councils with the costs associated with delivering exceptional relief and recovery measures within impacted communities, which go beyond the capacity of the state or local government.   Restoration of essential public assets:   Helps with the costs of restoring or repairing eligible essential public assets or infrastructure damaged as a direct result of a disaster to their pre-disaster function.    Further information To find out what assistance is being provided by the Queensland Government, including through the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements, visit QRA Activations.