Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment
The Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment (AGDRP) provides one-off financial assistance to eligible Australians adversely affected by the North and Far North Tropical Low: commencing 29 January 2025.
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 North and Far North Tropical Low: commencing 29 January 2025.
You have until 17 September 2025 to lodge a claim for AGDRP in the six (6) local government areas of Burdekin, Cassowary Coast, Charters Towers, Etheridge, Hinchinbrook and Townsville City. Please note: AGDRP for Burdekin, Charters Towers and Etheridge is available in specific suburbs. Refer to the Services Australia website for the list of suburbs.
For eligibility information, contact the Australian Government Information Hotline on 180 22 66 for claims for assistance or visit the Services Australia website.
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 North and Far North Tropical Low: commencing 29 January 2025.
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 North and Far North Tropical Low: commencing 29 January 2025.
You have until 17 September 2025 to lodge a claim for NZ DRP in the six (6) local government areas of Burdekin, Cassowary Coast, Charters Towers, Etheridge, Hinchinbrook and Townsville City.
Please note: NZ DRP for Burdekin, Charters Towers and Etheridge is available in specific suburbs. Refer to the Services Australia website for the list of suburbs.
For eligibility information, contact the Australian Government Information Hotline on 180 22 66 for claims for assistance or visit the Services Australia website.
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 North and Far North Tropical Low: commencing 29 January 2025.
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 and older.
DRA is not available to those already receiving another income support payment or pension such as the Age Pension, JobSeeker Payment or Service Pension.
You have until 19 August 2025 to lodge a claim for DRA in the thirty (30) local government areas of Barcaldine, Blackall-Tambo, Boulia, Burdekin, Cairns, Carpentaria, Cassowary Coast, Charters Towers, Cloncurry, Cook, Croydon, Diamantina, Douglas, Etheridge, Flinders, Hinchinbrook, Hope Vale, Kowanyama, Longreach, Mckinlay, Northern Peninsula Area, Palm Island, Pormpuraaw, Richmond, Tablelands, Townsville City, Whitsunday, Winton, Wujal Wujal and Yarrabah.
For eligibility information, contact the Australian Government Information Hotline on 180 22 66 for claims for assistance or visit the Services Australia website.
New Zealand Disaster Recovery Allowance
The New Zealand Disaster Recovery Allowance (NZ 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 North and Far North Tropical Low: commencing 29 January 2025.
NZ 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.
NZ DRA is available to Australian residents who are 16 years and older.
NZ DRA is not available to those already receiving another income support payment or pension such as the Age Pension, JobSeeker Payment or Service Pension.
You have until 19 August 2025 to lodge a claim for NZ DRA in the thirty (30) local government areas of Barcaldine, Blackall-Tambo, Boulia, Burdekin, Cairns, Carpentaria, Cassowary Coast, Charters Towers, Cloncurry, Cook, Croydon, Diamantina, Douglas, Etheridge, Flinders, Hinchinbrook, Hope Vale, Kowanyama, Longreach, Mckinlay, Northern Peninsula Area, Palm Island, Pormpuraaw, Richmond, Tablelands, Townsville City, Whitsunday, Winton, Wujal Wujal and Yarrabah.
For eligibility information, contact the Australian Government Information Hotline on 180 22 66 for claims for assistance or visit the Services Australia website.
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 North and Far North Tropical Low: commencing 29 January 2025, the available assistance measures may include:
Personal Hardship Assistance Scheme in eight (8) local government areas of:
- Burdekin
- Cairns
- Cassowary Coast
- Charters Towers
- Etheridge
- Hinchinbrook
- Palm Island
- Townsville City
Essential Services Safety and Reconnection Scheme in eight (8) local government areas of:
- Burdekin
- Cairns
- Cassowary Coast
- Charter Towers
- Etheridge
- Hinchinbrook
- Palm Island
- Townsville City
For information on these schemes and eligibility, visit the Queensland Government Community Recovery website or phone the Community Recovery hotline on 1800 173 349.
Concessional interest rate loans for primary producers and freight subsidies for primary producers in the ten (10) local government areas of:
- Burdekin
- Cairns
- Cassowary Coast
- Charters Towers
- Flinders
- Hinchinbrook
- Palm Island
- Tablelands
- Townsville City
- Yarrabah
Concessional interest rate loans for small businesses and non-profit organisations in the eight (8) local government areas of:
- Burdekin
- Cairns
- Cassowary Coast
- Charters Towers
- Hinchinbrook
- Palm Island
- Townsville City
- Yarrabah
Counter disaster operations in forty (40) local government areas of:
- Aurukun
- Barcaldine
- Blackall-Tambo
- Boulia
- Burdekin
- Burke
- Cairns
- Carpentaria
- Cassowary Coast
- Charters Towers
- Cloncurry
- Cook
- Croydon
- Diamantina
- Doomadgee
- Douglas
- Etheridge
- Flinders
- Hinchinbrook
- Hopevale
- Kowanyama
- Longreach
- Mackay
- McKinlay
- Mareeba
- Mornington
- Mount Isa
- Napranum
- Northern Peninsula Area
- Palm Island
- Pormpuraaw
- Richmond
- Tablelands
- Torres
- Torres Strait Island
- Townsville City
- Whitsunday
- Winton
- Wujal Wujal
- Yarrabah
Reconstruction of essential public assets in forty (40) local government areas of:
- Aurukun
- Barcaldine
- Blackall-Tambo
- Boulia
- Burdekin
- Burke
- Cairns
- Carpentaria
- Cassowary Coast
- Charters Towers
- Cloncurry
- Cook
- Croydon
- Diamantina
- Doomadgee
- Douglas
- Etheridge
- Flinders
- Hinchinbrook
- Hopevale
- Kowanyama
- Longreach
- Mackay
- McKinlay
- Mareeba
- Mornington
- Mount Isa
- Napranum
- Northern Peninsula Area
- Palm Island
- Pormpuraaw
- Richmond
- Tablelands
- Torres
- Torres Strait Island
- Townsville City
- Whitsunday
- Winton
- Wujal Wujal
- Yarrabah
Additional Recovery Assistance Measures
Under the DRFA, the following extraordinary assistance measures have been activated for this disaster:
Community Recovery Support Fund – provide grants to councils to support immediate clean-up activities for private properties, community assets and commercial or industry businesses.
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 (LGAs) of Burdekin, Cairns, Cassowary Coast, Charters Towers, Flinders, Hinchinbrook, Palm Island, Townsville City and Yarrabah.
Recovery grants of up to $50,000 are available for eligible small businesses and non-profit organisations to help with recovery and reinstatement activities - These grants are available in the seven (7) impacted local government areas (LGAs) of Burdekin, Cairns, Cassowary Coast, Hinchinbrook, Palm Island, Townsville City and Yarrabah.
Additional Recovery Packages
Rural Landholder Recovery Grants – This package is available to Rural Landholders across the nine (9) impacted local government areas (LGAs) of Burdekin, Cairns, Cassowary Coast, Charters Towers, Flinders, Hinchinbrook, Palm Island, Townsville and Yarrabah.
Coordinated Emergency Fodder Support Package – This package will provide emergency fodder via road trains or helicopters to heavily impacted areas and be distributed by the Local Disaster Management Groups.
Sport and Recreation Facilities Recovery Program – to rebuild and repair sport and recreation facilities. This will be done by supporting initial scoping of the works and delivery of funding from a grant program.
Community and Recreation Assets Recovery Program – to rebuild and repair community and recreational assets. This will be done by supporting initial scoping of the works and delivery of funding from a grant program.
Bruce Highway Flood Resilience and Inland Connection Roads Resilience – This package provides funding for damaged areas of the Bruce Highway and other key state-owned connection roads to be built back to a more resilient standard.
Primary Production Industry Support – This package provides support to primary producers in order to speed up recovery and increase resilience by focussing areas such as finances, production, personal, business and acute mental health needs.
Community Health and Wellbeing Package – This package provides funding to support individuals, community development and emotional wellbeing support. It will also support local organisations, social services and councils with individual and organisational disaster preparedness initiatives to assist in long-term disaster recovery and future resilience.
Mental Health Disaster Recovery Package – This package provides individual and family therapeutic interventions across the continuum of care for people that have been directly impacted by the event.
Small Business Recovery Support – This package provides support dedicated to disaster-affected small business owners through one-on-one case management focussing on mental health support and financial counselling, as well as financial assistance to impacted small businesses.
Tourism Recovery Support – This package provides funding to drive tourism by repairing damaged infrastructure, supporting the development of a sustainable and resilient industry, and providing on-the-ground support for community-led recovery efforts, including connections with state and national programs.
Environmental Recovery Program – This package provides funding to support environmental clean-up and local conservation along coastlines and within environmentally-sensitive inland areas.
For information on eligibility and application visit the Queensland Reconstruction Authority website.
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.
