Frequently Asked Questions

Replacing plants lost or damaged as direct result of disaster in a commercial nursery (within primary producer definition) or in an on-farm nursery to enable the immediate resumption of enterprise. These plants include root stock, seedlings, seeds and tube stock. Proof that they were on the farm before the disaster and have been lost or damaged as direct result of disaster will need to be supplied.

Disaster Assistance Loans are available for replanting.

Yes, a nursery is regarded as an eligible primary producer if they propagate the majority of their stock for sale. If the nursery is largely a retail outlet and principally sells other producers' stock, it would be regarded as a small business and may be eligible for that assistance.

Fishers who have sustained direct damage to fishing equipment and vessels as a result of the disaster may be eligible for assistance. Assistance is not however available to compensate for loss of income due to inability to fish because of the event.

If your business has not experienced direct damage, but has suffered a significant loss of income or other impacts as a result of the disaster event, you may be eligible to apply for a Disaster Assistance (Essential Working Capital) Loan.

Yes, as long as you can satisfactorily demonstrate you as tenant (lessee) are primarily responsible for the cost of the eligible clean-up and reinstatement activities.

An applicant is required to provide a copy of their lease and any other documents to demonstrate they are primarily responsible for the eligible costs being claimed.

QRIDA may also accept a co-signed statutory declaration if this assists the applicant in demonstrating they are responsible for costs being claimed or they are unable to immediately resume farming activities without meeting the cost of reinstatement of the damaged property themselves.

Such a co-signed statutory declaration for an applicant who is the lessee (tenant) should clearly state:

1. That the lessor will not be meeting the costs of reinstatement of the damaged property for which the lessee (applicant) has made the grant application
2. That the applicant (lessee) cannot immediately resume business activities without meeting the cost of reinstatement of the damaged property themselves
3. The nature and extent of damage impacting on the immediate resumption of business activities
4. Details of the reinstatement costs being claimed by the applicant which differ from the existing lease contract or other documents outlining the liabilities/responsibilities of each party and which have been agreed between the parties
5. That these same costs are not covered by insurance or other government assistance.

The Special Disaster Assistance Recovery Grant assistance does not cover repairing houses or repairing or replacing household goods.

However, you can apply for assistance to repair buildings that are used for staff accommodation. The repair of buildings must be essential for the immediate resumption of the primary production business. 

It is expected, where capacity exists to undertake your own clean-up and reinstatement using your own plant and equipment, that you would do so. You may claim for additional labour or fuel and oil costs incurred in the use of this equipment.

Contract work can only be considered as an eligible claim when the repairs cannot be undertaken utilising your own equipment.

You are able to use relatives with their own contracting business to repair your damage as long as transactions are at arm’s length and conducted in the same way as with any other contractor.

No, replanting is not an eligible use of Special Disaster Assistance Grant funding. 

Disaster Assistance Loans are available for replanting.

Loss of income is not eligible under the Special Disaster Assistance Recovery Grant scheme.  If your business has not experienced direct damage, but has suffered a significant loss of income as a result of the disaster event you may be eligible to apply for a Disaster Assistance (Essential Working Capital) Loan.

Normal staffing costs are ineligible unless they can demonstrate additional costs are incurred for clean-up and reinstatement purposes.

• Permanent employees (including permanent full-time and permanent part-time) – only the costs of additional hours worked (e.g. overtime or extra hours / days) to assist with the clean-up and reinstatement of the enterprise
• Contractors, casuals or temporary staff - who are engaged specifically for clean-up and reinstatement of the enterprise. If contractors, casuals or temporary staff are already employed, however, the day to day labour requirement which they were originally contracted to do has decreased or ceased altogether due to the eligible disaster, and they are assisting with clean up, these costs for clean-up and reinstatement purposes only may be eligible.

Evidence required could include payroll summary verifying staff and wage costs incurred for clean-up and reinstatement purposes only and signed by the applicant.