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 Western Queensland surface trough and associated rainfall and flooding (21 March – 19 May 2025) the available assistance measures may include:
Personal Hardship Assistance Scheme and Essential Services Safety and Reconnection Scheme in the eight (8) LGAs of:
- Barcaldine (for defined areas)
- Barcoo
- Bulloo
- Longreach
- Murweh
- Paroo
- Quilpie
- Winton
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 and freight subsidies for primary producers in the twelve (12) local government areas of:
- Balonne
- Barcaldine
- Barcoo
- Blackall-Tambo
- Boulia
- Bulloo
- Diamantina
- Longreach
- Murweh
- Paroo
- Quilpie
- Winton
For information on these schemes and eligibility, visit the
Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority website.
Concessional interest rates loans for small business in the ten (10) local government areas of:
- Barcoo
- Blackall-Tambo
- Boulia
- Bulloo
- Diamantina
- Longreach
- Murweh
- Paroo
- Quilpie
- Winton
Concessional interest rates loans for not-for profit organisations in the nine (9) local government areas of:
- Barcoo
- Boulia
- Bulloo
- Diamantina
- Longreach
- Murweh
- Paroo
- Quilpie
- Winton
For information on these schemes and eligibility, visit the
Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority website.
Counter Disaster Operations in the forty-one (41) LGAs of:
- Balonne
- Banana
- Barcaldine
- Barcoo
- Blackall-Tambo
- Boulia
- Bulloo
- Burdekin
- Burke
- Carpentaria
- Central Highlands
- Charters Towers
- Cloncurry
- Croydon
- Diamantina
- Doomadgee
- Etheridge
- Flinders
- Fraser Coast
- Gladstone
- Gold Coast
- Goondiwindi
- Gympie
- Livingstone
- Lockyer Valley
- Longreach
- Maranoa
- McKinlay
- Mount Isa
- Murweh
- Noosa
- North Burnett
- Paroo
- Quilpie
- Richmond
- Rockhampton
- Southern Downs
- Sunshine Coast
- Townsville
- Western Downs
- Winton
Reconstruction and Essential Public Assets in the thirty-nine (39) LGAs of:
- Balonne
- Banana
- Barcaldine
- Barcoo
- Blackall-Tambo
- Boulia
- Bulloo
- Burdekin
- Burke
- Carpentaria
- Central Highlands
- Charters Towers
- Cloncurry
- Croydon
- Diamantina
- Doomadgee
- Etheridge
- Flinders
- Fraser Coast
- Gladstone
- Goondiwindi
- Gympie
- Livingstone
- Longreach
- Maranoa
- McKinlay
- Mount Isa
- Murweh
- Noosa
- North Burnett
- Paroo
- Quilpie
- Richmond
- Rockhampton
- Southern Downs
- Sunshine Coast
- Townsville
- Western Downs
- Winton
For information on eligibility and application visit the Queensland Reconstruction Authority website.
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 the delivery of essential immediate recovery activities, including clean-up.
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. This package is available in the twelve (12) LGAs of Balonne, Barcaldine, Barcoo, Blackall-Tambo, Bulloo, Boulia, Diamantina, Longreach, Murweh, Paroo, Quilpie and Winton.
Exclusion Fence Restitution Program - This package will provide support to replace exclusion fencing in the twelve (12) LGAs of Balonne, Barcaldine, Barcoo, Blackall-Tambo, Bulloo, Boulia, Diamantina, Longreach, Murweh, Paroo, Quilpie and Winton.
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 twelve (12) LGAs of Balonne, Barcaldine, Barcoo, Blackall-Tambo, Bulloo, Boulia, Diamantina, Longreach, Murweh, Paroo, Quilpie and Winton.
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 nine (9) LGAs of Barcoo, Bulloo, Boulia, Diamantina, Longreach, Murweh, Paroo, Quilpie and Winton.
Additional Recovery Packages
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.
Primary Production Industry Support Package - This package provides support to primary producers in order to speed up recovery and increase resilience by focussing areas such as finances, production and business needs. This package also includes funding for predator control and management and emergency veterinary support.
Tourism Industry Recovery Support - This package provides funding to drive visitation to enable tourism recovery for impacted communities and by providing on-the-ground support for community-led recovery efforts, including connections with state and national programs.
Small Business Recovery Support Package - This package provides support dedicated to disaster-affected small business owners through financial counselling, as well as financial assistance to impacted small businesses.
Betterment Program - This package is available to assist local and state governments upgrade essential state-owned roads to a more resilient standard.
Environmental Recovery Program - This package provides funding to support medium to longer-term catchment rehabilitation and national park restoration.
Sports and Recreational Community Facilities Recovery Program - This package provides funding to rebuild and repair community sport and recreational facilities.
Mental Health Recovery Program - This package provides individual and family therapeutic interventions across the continuum of care for people that have been directly impacted by the event.
Western Queensland Heavy Rainfall and Flooding
Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment
The Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment (AGDRP) provides one-off financial assistance to eligible Australians adversely affected by Western Queensland Heavy Rainfall and Flooding (21 March – 19 May 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 Western Queensland Heavy Rainfall and Flooding (21 March – 19 May 2025).
You have until 14 October 2025 to lodge a claim for AGDRP in the eight (8) local government areas of Barcaldine, Barcoo, Bulloo, Longreach, Murweh, Paroo, Quilpie and Winton.
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 Western Queensland Heavy Rainfall and Flooding (21 March – 19 May 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 Western Queensland Heavy Rainfall and Flooding (21 March – 19 May 2025).
You have until 14 October 2025 to lodge a claim for NZ DRP in the eight (8) local government areas of Barcaldine, Barcoo, Bulloo, Longreach, Murweh, Paroo, Quilpie and Winton.
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 the Western Queensland Heavy Rainfall and Flooding (March and April 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 14 October 2025 to lodge a claim for DRA in the twenty-four (24) LGAs of Balonne, Barcaldine, Barcoo, Blackall-Tambo, Boulia, Bulloo, Burke, Carpentaria, Central Highlands, Charters Towers, Cloncurry, Croydon, Diamantina, Doomadgee Aboriginal Shire, Etheridge, Flinders, Longreach, Maranoa, Mount Isa, Murweh, Paroo, Quilpie, Richmond, and Winton.
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 Western Queensland Heavy Rainfall and Flooding (March and April 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 14 October 2025 to lodge a claim for NZ DRA in the twenty-four (24) LGAs of Balonne, Barcaldine, Barcoo, Blackall-Tambo, Boulia, Bulloo, Burke, Carpentaria, Central Highlands, Charters Towers, Cloncurry, Croydon, Diamantina, Doomadgee Aboriginal Shire, Etheridge, Flinders, Longreach, Maranoa, Mount Isa, Murweh, Paroo, Quilpie, Richmond, and Winton.
For eligibility information, contact the Australian Government Information Hotline on 180 22 66 for claims for assistance or visit the Services Australia 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.
The Australian Government has declared the Western Queensland Surface Trough and Associated Rainfall and Flooding (21 March – 19 May 2025) as a disaster under the tax law for the purpose of establishing Australian disaster relief funds – Disaster relief funds that have been set up to provide relief in response to the Western Queensland Surface Trough and Associated Rainfall and Flooding (21 March – 19 May 2025) can now seek endorsement from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) as deductible gift recipients, helping raise money for vital work needed to assist affected communities.
Charities wanting to set up a disaster relief fund may contact the ATO’s not for profit advice line on 1300 130 248 for assistance. Further information is available on the
ATO website
