Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment
The Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment (AGDRP) provides one-off financial assistance to eligible Australians adversely affected by the bushfires in Queensland.
The rate of AGDRP is $1000 per eligible adult and $400 per eligible child. Claims for this payment can be lodged with Services Australia for a period up to 6 months.
AGDRP is available for people who have been seriously injured, have lost their homes or whose homes have been directly damaged, whose major assets have been directly damaged or are the immediate family members of an Australian citizen or resident who has died as a direct result of the bushfires.
The claiming period for this support closed as of 26 April 2024.
For more information on eligibility, visit the Services Australia website or contact the Australian Government Information Hotline on 180 22 66 for claims assistance.
New Zealand Disaster Recovery Payment
The New Zealand Disaster Recovery Payment (NZ DRP) is available to eligible New Zealand 'non-protected' special category visa (SCV) (subclass 444) holders who have been adversely affected by the bushfires in Queensland.
The payment rate is $1000 per eligible adult, and $400 per eligible child. Claims for this payment can be lodged with Services Australia for a period of 6 months.
The payment is available for non-protected SCV holders who have been seriously injured, have lost their homes or whose homes have been directly damaged, whose major assets have been directly damaged or are the immediate family members of an Australian citizen or resident who has died as a direct result of the bushfires.
The claiming period for this support closed as of 26 April 2024.
For eligibility information, visit the Services Australia website or contact the Australian Government Information Hotline on 180 22 66 for claims assistance.
Disaster Recovery Allowance
The Disaster Recovery Allowance (DRA) is a short term payment to eligible Australians who can demonstrate they have experienced a loss of income as a direct result of the bushfires in Queensland.
DRA provides fortnightly payments for up to 13 weeks up to the applicable rate of JobSeeker Payment or Youth Allowance, depending on the person's circumstances.
DRA is available to Australian residents who are 16 years or older at the time of the disaster.
DRA is not available to those already receiving another income support payment or pension such as the Age Pension, JobSeeker Payment or Service Pension.
The claiming period for this support closed as of 26 April 2024.
For eligibility information, visit the Services Australia website or contact the Australian Government Information Hotline on 180 22 66 for claims for assistance.
New Zealand Disaster Recovery Allowance
The New Zealand Disaster Recovery Allowance (NZ DRA) 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 bushfires in Queensland.
The short term payment provides fortnightly payments for up to 13 weeks up to the applicable rate of JobSeeker Payment or Youth Allowance, depending on the person's circumstances.
NZ DRA is available to SCV holders who are 16 years or older at the time of the disaster.
The claiming period for this support closed as of 26 April 2024.
For more information on eligibility, visit the Services Australia 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 Southern Queensland fires, the available assistance measures may include:
- Personal hardship assistance scheme in the five (5) local government areas of:
- Bundaberg
- Gladstone
- Southern Downs
- Toowoomba
- Western Downs
- Essential services safety and reconnection scheme in the five (5) local government areas of:
- Bundaberg
- Gladstone
- Southern Downs
- Toowoomba
- Western Downs
- Counter disaster operations in the sixteen (16) local government areas of:
- Balonne
- Bundaberg
- Central Highlands
- Gladstone
- Goondiwindi
- Gympie
- Lockyer Valley
- Logan
- Maranoa
- North Burnett
- Scenic Rim
- Somerset
- Southern Downs
- Sunshine Coast
- Toowoomba
- Western Downs
- Disaster assistance loans and essential working capital loans for primary producers in the nine (9) local government areas of:
- Bundaberg
- Central Highlands
- Gladstone
- Maranoa
- North Burnett
- South Burnett
- Southern Downs
- Toowoomba
- Western Downs
- Freight subsidies for primary producers in the nine (9) local government areas of:
- Bundaberg
- Central Highlands
- Gladstone
- Maranoa
- North Burnett
- South Burnett
- Southern Downs
- Toowoomba
- Western Downs
Disaster assistance loans and essential working capital loans for small businesses are available in the local government area of Western Downs.
Additional recovery assistance measures
- Recovery grants of up to $75,000 are available for eligible primary producers to help with recovery and reinstatement activities - These grants are available in the nine (9) local government areas of Bundaberg, Central Highlands, Gladstone, Maranoa, North Burnett, South Burnett, Southern Downs, Toowoomba, and Western Downs.
For information on recovery grants for primary producers, visit the Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority website.
Additional recovery packages
- Local Recovery and Resilience Grants - This package is available to the one (1) local government of Western Downs to assist local governments undertake immediate recovery and resilience activities, to address emerging needs and help build community resilience.
- Rural Landholder Recovery Grants – This package is available to Rural Landholders across the nine (9) local government areas of Bundaberg, Central Highlands, Gladstone, Maranoa, North Burnett, South Burnett, Southern Downs, Toowoomba and Western Downs to assist them with the extraordinary clean up and support the economic recovery of communities.
- Community Health and Wellbeing Program – to conduct community health and wellbeing activities through providing direct support and referrals for individuals for financial or mental health supports, grants to community groups to improve preparedness and resilience and, to support the recovery of community building activities to assist community cohesion.
- Mental Health Program – to provide individual and family therapeutic interventions across the range of care options, and provide health and wellbeing activities to support the recovery of those impacted.
- Agriculture Recovery and Resilience Officers Package – to support Primary Producers for medium and long term recovery needs, along with supporting them in accessing available support measures such as recovery grants and concessional loans. To deliver workshops on climate resilience, economic recovery and other support services as well as link and work together with other Recovery and Resilience Officers, Rural Financial Counsellors and Business wellness coaches to provide further support.
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.
