Disaster Recovery Allowance
The Disaster Recovery Allowance (DRA) provides income support payments to employees, primary producers and sole traders who can demonstrate they have experienced a loss of income as a direct result of the floods.
DRA provides fortnightly payments for up to 13 weeks up to the applicable rate of Newstart or Youth Allowance, depending on the person's circumstances.
DRA is available to Australian residents who are sixteen years and older.
DRA is not available to those already receiving another income support payment or pension such as the Age Pension, Newstart Allowance or Service Pension.
You have until 30 August 2019 to lodge a claim for DRA in the local government areas of Burdekin, Burke, Carpentaria, Charters Towers, Cloncurry, Cook, Doomadgee, Douglas, Flinders, Hinchinbrook, McKinlay, Palm Island, Richmond, Torres, Torres Strait Island, Townsville, Winton and Wujal Wujal.
For more information on eligibility, visit the
Department of Human Services website or contact the Australian Government Information Hotline on 180 22 66 for claims for assistance.
Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment
The Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment (AGDRP) provides one-off financial assistance to eligible Australians adversely affected by the floods.
The rate of AGDRP is $1000 per eligible adult and $400 per eligible child. Claims for this payment can be lodged with the
Department of Human Services for a period up to six months.
AGDRP is available for people who have been seriously injured, have lost their homes or whose homes have been directly damaged, or are the immediate family members of a person who has died, as a direct result of the floods.
You have until 30 August 2019 to lodge a claim for AGDRP in the local government areas of Burdekin, Burke, Carpentaria, Charters Towers, Cloncurry, Cook, Doomadgee, Douglas, Flinders, Hinchinbrook, McKinlay, Palm Island, Richmond, Torres, Torres Strait Island, Townsville, Winton and Wujal Wujal.
For more information on eligibility, visit the
Department of Human Services website or contact the Australian Government Information Hotline on 180 22 66 for claims assistance.
Ex-gratia disaster assistance for New Zealand non-protected special category visa holders
New Zealand ex-gratia disaster recovery payment
An ex-gratia payment is being provided to eligible New Zealand 'non-protected' special category visa (SCV) (subclass 444) holders who have been adversely affected by the floods.
The payment rate is $1000 per eligible adult, $1,000 per partner or dependent adult and $400 per eligible child. Claims for this payment can be lodged with the
Department of Human Services for a period of six months.
The payment is available for SCV holders who have been seriously injured, have lost their homes or whose homes have been directly damaged, or are the immediate family members of a person who has died, as a direct result of the floods.
You have until 30 August 2019 to lodge a claim for the ex-gratia disaster recovery payment in the local government areas of Burdekin, Burke, Carpentaria, Charters Towers, Cloncurry, Cook, Doomadgee, Douglas, Flinders, Hinchinbrook, McKinlay, Palm Island, Richmond, Torres, Torres Strait Island, Townsville, Winton and Wujal Wujal.
For eligibility information, visit the
Department of Human Services website or contact the Australian Government Information Hotline on 180 22 66 for claims assistance.
New Zealand ex-gratia income support allowance
An ex-gratia income support allowance is available to eligible New Zealand 'non-protected' special category visa (SCV) (subclass 444) holders who can demonstrate they have experienced a loss of income as a direct result of the floods.
The income support allowance provides fortnightly payments for up to 13 weeks up to the applicable rate of Newstart or Youth Allowance, depending on the person's circumstances.
The allowance is available to SCV holders who are sixteen years and older.
You have until 30 August 2019 to lodge a claim for the ex-gratia income support allowance in the local government areas of Burdekin, Burke, Carpentaria, Charters Towers, Cloncurry, Cook, Doomadgee, Douglas, Finders, Hinchinbrook, McKinlay, Palm Island, Richmond, Torres, Torres Strait Island, Townsville, Winton and Wujal Wujal.
For more information on eligibility, visit the
Department of Human Services website or contact the Australian Government Information Hotline on 180 22 66 for claims assistance.
Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements
The joint Australian, state and territory governments' Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) provide a range of financial assistance to the natural disaster-declared areas in each state or territory.
For the storms and floods which impacted parts of North and Far North Queensland from 25 January 2019, the available assistance measures include:
- Essential Services Safety and Reconnection Scheme in the fourteen (14) local government areas of:
- Burdekin (targeted areas only)
- Burke
- Carpentaria
- Charters Towers (targeted area only)
- Cloncurry
- Cook (targeted areas only)
- Douglas (targeted areas only)
- Flinders
- Hinchinbrook (targeted areas only)
- McKinlay
- Palm Island
- Richmond
- Townsville
- Winton (targeted areas only)
- Personal Hardship Assistance Scheme in the seventeen (17) local government areas of:
- Burdekin (targeted areas only)
- Burke
- Carpentaria
- Charters Towers (targeted areas only)
- Cloncurry
- Cook (targeted areas only)
- Douglas (targeted areas only)
- Flinders
- Hinchinbrook (targeted areas only)
- McKinlay
- Palm Island
- Richmond
- Torres
- Torres Strait Island
- Townsville
- Winton (targeted areas only)
- Wujal Wujal
- Counter Disaster Operations in the thirty nine (39) local government areas of:
- Aurukun
- Barcoo
- Boulia
- Burdekin
- Burke
- Cairns
- Cassowary
- Carpentaria
- Charters Towers
- Cloncurry
- Cook
- Croydon
- Diamantina
- Douglas
- Etheridge
- Flinders
- Hinchinbrook
- Hope Vale
- Kowanyama River
- Lockhart River
- Longreach
- Mackay
- Mareeba
- McKinlay
- Mapoon
- Mornington
- Mount Isa
- Napranum
- Northern Peninsula
- Palm Island
- Pormpuraaw
- Richmond
- Torres
- Torres Strait Island
- Townsville
- Whitsunday
- Winton
- Wujal Wujal
- Yarrabah
- Restoration of essential public assets in the thirty nine (39) local government areas of:
- Aurukun
- Barcoo
- Boulia
- Burdekin
- Burke
- Cairns
- Carpentaria
- Cassowary
- Charters Towers
- Cloncurry
- Cook
- Croydon
- Diamantina
- Douglas
- Etheridge
- Flinders
- Hinchinbrook
- Hope Vale
- Kowanyama River
- Lockhart River
- Longreach
- Mackay
- Mapoon
- Mareeba
- McKinlay
- Mornington
- Mount Isa
- Napranum
- Northern Peninsula
- Palm Island
- Pormpuraaw
- Richmond
- Torres
- Torres Strait Island
- Townsville
- Whitsunday
- Winton
- Wujal Wujal
- Yarrabah
- Disaster Assistance (Small Business) Loans available in the fourteen (14) local government areas of:
- Burdekin
- Burke
- Carpentaria
- Charters Towers
- Cloncurry
- Croydon
- Douglas
- Etheridge
- Flinders
- Hinchinbrook
- McKinlay
- Richmond
- Townsville
- Winton
- Disaster Assistance (Essential Working Capital) Loans Scheme for Small Business available in the fourteen (14) local government areas of:
- Burdekin
- Burke
- Carpentaria
- Charters Towers
- Cloncurry
- Croydon
- Douglas
- Etheridge
- Flinders
- Hinchinbrook
- McKinlay
- Richmond
- Townsville
- Winton
- Disaster Assistance (Essential Working Capital) Loans Scheme for not profit organisations available in the eight (8) local government areas of:
- Burdekin
- Cloncurry
- Douglas
- Flinders
- Hinchinbrook
- McKinlay
- Richmond
- Townsville
- Disaster Assistance (Not-for-profit organisations) Loans available in the eight (8) local government areas of:
- Burdekin
- Cloncurry
- Douglas
- Flinders
- Hinchinbrook
- McKinlay
- Richmond
- Townsville
- Disaster Assistance (Primary Producer) Loans available in the fifteen (15) local government areas of:
- Burdekin
- Burke
- Charters Towers
- Cloncurry
- Carpentaria
- Croydon
- Douglas
- Etheridge
- Flinders
- Hinchinbrook
- McKinlay
- Richmond
- Townsville
- Whitsunday
- Winton
- Disaster Assistance (Essential Working Capital) Loans Scheme for primary producers available in the fifteen (15) local government areas of:
- Burdekin
- Burke
- Charters Towers
- Cloncurry
- Croydon
- Carpentaria
- Douglas
- Etheridge
- Flinders
- Hinchinbrook
- McKinlay
- Richmond
- Townsville
- Whitsunday
- Winton
- Freight subsidies available in the fifteen (15) local government areas of:
- Burdekin
- Burke
- Charters Towers
- Croydon
- Cloncurry
- Carpentaria
- Douglas
- Etheridge
- Flinders
- Hinchinbrook
- McKinlay
- Richmond
- Townsville
- Whitsunday
- Winton
Category C and D Assistance
Recovery grants of up to $75,000 are also available for eligible primary producers in the fourteen (14) local government areas of Burdekin, Burke, Carpentaria, Charters Towers, Cloncurry, Douglas, Etheridge, Flinders, Hinchinbrook, McKinlay, Richmond, Townsville, Whitsunday and Winton.
Recovery grants of up to $50,000 are available for eligible small businesses in the seven (7) local government areas of Townsville, Charters Towers, Cloncurry, Etheridge, McKinlay, Richmond and Flinders.
Recovery grants of up to $50,000 are available for eligible not-for-profit organisations in the five (5) local government areas of Cloncurry, Flinders, McKinlay, Richmond and Townsville.
For information on available recovery assistance, visit the Queensland Reconstruction Authority website.
For further information on recovery arrangements, visit the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements page.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade will replace passports that have been lost or damaged in declared natural disasters free of charge, visit the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website.
