Loans for bushfire-impacted small businesses in Queensland’s Western Downs

17 November 2023

Disaster assistance provided by the Albanese and Palaszczuk Governments has been extended to help bushfire-affected small business operators in the Western Downs local government area.

Concessional loans of up to $250,000 are available to re-establish operations for fire impacted businesses in the region, covering costs such as:

• Repairing or replacing damaged plant and equipment

• Repairing or replacing buildings

• Resupplying stock needed for immediate trading

In addition, essential working capital concessional loans of up to $100,000 are available for directly and indirectly impacted small businesses to carry on business operations such as paying salaries or wages, paying creditors, rent or rates. 

Federal Minister for Emergency Management Murray Watt said he urged people impacted to check what support may be available to them.

"These fires have been extremely tough on everyone in affected areas, including small business operators in and around Tara in the Western Downs," he said.

Deputy Premier and minister responsible for Queensland Reconstruction Authority Steven Miles said the Queensland Government would continue working with local councils and the Commonwealth to support the recovery of communities impacted by these bushfires.

“Western Downs has been significantly impacted by Queensland’s intense 2023 bushfire season and the scale of the destruction is still being revealed,” he said.

“Extending this assistance to eligible small businesses in the region will help those who have lost so much to get on the road to recovery.""

The assistance is jointly funded through the Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).

The new small business support comes on top of a range of jointly funded assistance measures already activated in the Western Downs, including hardship payments for individuals, freight subsidies and loans for primary producers, and $5000 payments for uninsured homeowners to have damaged services like electricity, gas and water inspected and reconnected.

For more information on disaster assistance, eligibility and how to apply visit QRIDA's website.

To learn more about DRFA support head to the Queensland Reconstruction Authority website.