If you sustained damage in the recent floods, you may be eligible for financial assistance which we will outline below:

1. QLD Government Disaster Assistance Recovery Grants

Grants of up to $50,000 are available for affected small businesses following the South-East Queensland Rainfall and Flooding to assist with the cost of:

• Hire or purchase equipment and materials to undertake clean-up
• Additional labour costs (above and beyond normal wage expenditure i.e. day-to-day staffing)
• Disposing of damaged goods and stock, including associated costs
• Repairs to buildings (other than housing)
• Purchase or hire/ lease costs for equipment essential to the immediate resumption of the business
• Payment for tradespeople to conduct safety inspections
• Essential repairs to premises and internal fittings that is not covered by insurance
• Replacement of lost or damaged stock if the replacement is essential for immediately resuming operations
• Leasing temporary premises for the purpose of resuming operation.

Applicants will need to provide proof of the damage sustained, and should take photographs of the direct damage to accompany their application.

• An initial amount of up to $15,000 is available to support an initial claim. Evidence of the direct damage is required such as photographs, quotations, tax invoices or official receipts.
• A subsequent amount of up to $35,000 is available to support subsequent claims for which full evidence of payment is required.

Please note that this grant does not cover loss of income due to flooding and associated road closures.

For more information, please see here:

2. Concessional Loans 

a. Disaster Assistance (Essential Working Capital) Loans: available to of up to $100,000 to assist with expenses such as paying wages, creditors, rent or other items essential to carry-on the business.

b. Disaster Assistance Loans: available to of up to $250,000 to assist you to re-establish the normal operations of your small business by covering costs such as repairing or replacing damaged plant and equipment or buildings, replacing damaged stock, or meeting other essential business costs.

c. Terms: Terms of both loans include:

i. Up to 10-year term

ii. Up to 2 years interest only repayments

iii. Concessional interest rate

iv. Must be secured by mortgage over land or other assets

v. No establishment fees, no maintenance fees, and no fees for early payout.

3. For individuals

Individuals who suffered loss of income as a direct result of the floods, you may be eligible to claim a short-term Disaster Recovery Allowance payment through Centrelink for up to 13 weeks.  To be eligible for this payment you must meet the following criteria:

• You were 16 or older at the time of the floods
• You are an Australian resident or hold an eligible visa
• You work or live in an affected Local Government Area (LGA)
• You lost income as a direct result of the storms and floods
• You earn less than the average Australian weekly income in the weeks after you had this income loss (currently $1,737.10 per week).

This allowance will be treated as taxable income.

For more information, please see here: