Remote Communities Freight Assistance Scheme

The Remote Communities Freight Assistance Scheme aims to reduce the amount of freight costs that are passed on to consumers of eligible goods in remote communities. 

Program information

The Queensland Government is committed to easing the freight related cost of living pressures in remote communities. The Remote Communities Freight Assistance Scheme involves the application of a freight discount on eligible essential goods by eligible business owners at the cash register to ensure the benefit reaches local residents.  

The Scheme provides three types of assistance to wholly or partly reimburse eligible business owners:

• Establishment Assistance: a reimbursement (where applicable) to help offset establishment activities costs 
• Discount Assistance: weekly, fortnightly or monthly payments to reimburse the eligible business for the relevant weekly, fortnightly or monthly discount shortfalls 
• Compliance Assistance: payments to reimburse the weekly, fortnightly or monthly compliance cost to the business in making a Discount Assistance claim.

NB Financial assistance under this Scheme attracts GST. Please see the guidelines for more information.

Establishment Assistance

This is a reimbursement to help offset costs incurred in carrying out one or more establishment activities for an eligible business within two years from the Scheme opening on 12 January 2024.

The amount of the Establishment Assistance is the total cost of all eligible establishment activities incurred for the business. The amount of Establishment Assistance available is the lesser of:

• $20,000 (plus GST) for each of the approved premises of the eligible business
• $110,000 (plus GST).

An establishment activity includes the following:

• buying or installing digital stock management software
• buying, installing or upgrading computer hardware; 
• upgrading or adjusting stock management software
• engaging a person (other than an excluded person for the business) to provide training or a service in relation to the above establishment activities.

The Establishment Assistance cannot be claimed for:

• buying, installing, or upgrading computer hardware if:
  • the purchase, installation or upgrade is not carried out for each approved premises;
  • at any time before the purchase, installation or upgrade the business complied with the Scheme digital discount reporting requirements; and
  • the purchase, installation or upgrade was not necessary to allow the business to comply with the digital discount reporting requirements;
• buying or installing digital stock management software if at any time before the installation the business had previously used digital stock management software that is capable of Scheme compliance
  • the purchase or installation is not carried out for each approved premises of the business;
  • at any time before the installation the business used digital stock management software; and
  • the software bought or installed would not allow the business to comply with the digital discount reporting requirements;
• upgrading or adjusting stock management software being used by the eligible business if the upgrade or adjustment is not:
  • carried out for each approved premises of the business; and
  • necessary to allow the business to comply with the digital discount reporting requirements;
• engaging an excluded person to carry out establishment activities (see the guidelines).

Discount Assistance

This is a weekly, fortnightly or monthly payment to wholly reimburse the applicant for revenue forgone as a result of the application of the published percentage discount to the usual retail prices of essential goods.

The published percentage discount is 20%. 

Compliance Assistance

This is a weekly, fortnightly or monthly payment to wholly or partly reimburse the applicant for compliance costs of the business in making a Discount Assistance claim. This includes costs that are likely to be incurred by an applicant in complying with the stock management requirements of the Scheme.

The amount of the Compliance Assistance in relation to the eligible business for a particular week, fortnight or month, is the lesser of:

• $250 (plus GST) for each participating premises of the eligible business;
• $2,900 (plus GST).

If Compliance Assistance is claimed, it must be claimed at the same time as, and for the same week, fortnight or month as, a Discount Assistance claim under a funding agreement. An applicant may elect not to claim Compliance Assistance.

The Department of Transport and Main Roads has engaged QRIDA to administer the Remote Communities Freight Assistance Scheme.

Am I eligible?

The Scheme is limited to eligible businesses with one or more premises located in any of the following local government areas:

• Aurukun
• Burke
• Carpentaria
• Cook 
• Doomadgee
• Kowanyama
• Hope Vale
• Lockhart River
• Mapoon
• Mornington
• Napranum
• Northern Peninsula Area 
• Pormpuraaw
• Torres
• Torres Strait Island 
• Weipa Town Area 
• Wujal Wujal.

To be eligible for the Remote Communities Freight Assistance Scheme the following criteria must be met:

• The applicant must be an owner of an eligible business with one or more premises located in a remote community set out above; and
• The retail sale of eligible essential goods by the business, during the most recently ended financial year when the application is made, accounted for:
  • where the premises are used primarily for the retail sale of fuel for vehicles, at least 15% of revenue of the business at the premises for the year; or
  • otherwise, at least 50% of revenue of the business at the premises for the year. 
     

How to apply

To apply for financial assistance under the Scheme, please complete and submit your application and supporting information via the QRIDA online portal.

If you do not have access to the internet, please contact QRIDA to receive a paper application form.