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Extraordinary Bushfire Assistance Loans

Low interest loans are available for primary producers, small business and non-profit organisations whose assets were significantly damaged as a direct result of the Queensland Bushfires, September - December 2019. 

New grass shoots appear on burnt ground after a bushfire

Key program information

    • Loan amount

      maximum of $500,000

    • Maximum term

      up to 10 years

    • Security

      mortgage of land and other assets satisfactory

    • Fees

      no fees or charges

    • Interest rate

      from third year is 0.82%

The Extraordinary Bushfire Assistance Loans closed on 31 December 2020.

If you have been directly impacted and still require assistance, please contact QRIDA to discuss your situation.

Primary producers whose assets have been significantly damaged as a direct result of the Queensland Bushfires September - December 2019 disaster events may be able to access low interest loans of up to $500,000. 

The Extraordinary Bushfire Assistance Loans are intended to help eligible primary producers pay for costs of repairing or replacing assets lost or damaged because of the disaster and to provide working capital to assist entities meet expenses.

What assistance is available? 

These concessional loans are provided to assist you to re-establish the normal operations of your primary production enterprise by covering costs such as: 

  • repairing or replacing damaged plant and equipment 
  • repairing or replacing farm buildings 
  • purchasing livestock to replace those lost in the disaster event 
  • meeting carry-on requirements including: 
  • re-planting, restoring or re-establishing areas affected by the disaster event 
  • paying salaries or wages 
  • paying rent and rates 
  • essential property operations. 

Defined disaster areas

 Extraordinary Bushfire Assistance Loans for primary producers have been activated for the following local government areas: 

  • Bundaberg Regional Council 
  • Gladstone Regional Council 
  • Gympie Regional Council 
  • Ipswich City Council 
  • Livingstone Shire Council 
  • Lockyer Valley Regional Council 
  • Mareeba Shire Council 
  • Noosa Shire Council 
  • Scenic Rim Regional Council 
  • Somerset Regional Council 
  • Southern Downs Regional Council 
  • Sunshine Coast Regional Council 
  • Toowoomba Regional Council

Get in touch

Have a question, need some help or would like more information? We're here to help you.

QRIDA administers financial assistance to disaster affected primary producers, businesses and non-profit organisations under the joint Commonwealth / Queensland Government funded Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements 2018.

Frequently asked questions

View all FAQs

  • Yes, if you are unable to meet core operating expenses (e.g. lease payments, property rates, wages, creditors) due to the impact of the disaster event then you are able to seek loan assistance to fund your working capital requirements beyond your existing credit limits. 

  • Yes, in limited circumstances funds can be used to refinance a commercial loan.

  • No, reduced profit is not an eligible purpose under the Extraordinary Bushfire Assistance Loan. 

  • Yes. However, you will need to provide satisfactory evidence of damage to your premises evidencing that you are unable to conduct your operations from that site and of costs associated with leasing or renting the temporary premises. 

  • Exceptional Disaster Assistance Loans, Disaster Assistance Loans or Extraordinary Bushfire Assistance Loans are available to the primary production enterprise or business entity and not to each premises making up the business.

  • No, you are unable to claim the same direct damage expenses under both the grant and loan scheme. However, if you are an eligible primary producer and your expenses have exceeded the amount of assistance available under the grants scheme, you can seek loan assistance for the expenses that were not covered by the grant. 

  • Businesses must have been operating immediately before the disaster event and must have operated within the defined disaster area.

  • All applicants must have utilised their sources of liquid assets and normal credit sources up to normal credit limits, meaning you must utilise your overdraft as part of your overall funding requirements. 

  • Yes, you are able to claim assistance for the actual costs of any additional labour or fuel and oil incurred in the use of this plant and equipment for clean-up and reinstatement activities for the disaster event. 

  • Yes, if your insurance claim is being delayed, you can apply for a loan to reinstate your business before your claim is finalised. If any expenses included in your loan are later recovered from insurance, QRIDA will require these amounts be repaid to your loan. 

  • In order to give you the best chance of success, QRIDA needs to understand the historical performance of your business, your current position and your plan moving forward. Without this information, QRIDA would be unable to determine the level of assistance you need and your prospects of returning to a viable business with the assistance provided. 

  • Yes, the cashflow budget template provided by QRIDA is not mandatory. If you have your own cashflow budget template then you are able to provide this to QRIDA as part of your loan application. However, please note that an itemised monthly cashflow is required for all applications, preferably in a financial year (July to June) format.

     

  • Freecall 1800 623 946 for assistance with your loan application. Alternatively, your accountant, bank or financial or business advisor may also be able to assist with your application also.

  • Loans eligible for refinancing are those obtained from a financial institution and held immediately before the disaster event, in relation to carrying on a primary production enterprise, small business or non-profit activities, other than any of the following types of loans:

    1. off-balance sheet financing
    2. a short-term credit facility
    3. a loan established at a concessional rate under a Commonwealth or State government scheme or
    4. an equipment finance loan.

News, events & stories

Related information
Department of Agriculture and Fisheries
Queensland Reconstruction Authority
Australian Taxation Office (ATO) assistance

The Extraordinary Bushfire Assistance Loans closed on 31 December 2020.

If you have been directly impacted and still require assistance, please contact QRIDA to discuss your situation.

Small business whose assets have been significantly damaged as a direct result of the Queensland Bushfires September - December 2019 disaster events may be able to access low interest loans of up to $500,000. 

The Extraordinary Bushfire Assistance Loans are intended to help eligible small businesses pay for the costs of repairing or replacing assets lost or damaged because of the disaster and to provide working capital to assist entities meet expenses. 

What assistance is available? 

These concessional loans are provided to assist you to re-establish the normal operations of your small business by covering costs such as: 

  • repairing or replacing damaged plant, equipment or buildings
  • meeting carry-on requirements including: 
    • paying salaries or wages
    • paying creditors
    • paying rent and rates
    • buying goods, including fuel, for the purpose of carrying on the small business activities.

Defined disaster area 

Extraordinary Bushfire Assistance Loans for small businesses have been activated for the following local government areas: 

  • Bundaberg Regional Council 
  • Gladstone Regional Council 
  • Livingstone Shire Council 
  • Noosa Shire Council 
  • Scenic Rim Regional Council 
  • Somerset Regional Council 
  • Southern Downs Regional Council 
  • Sunshine Coast Regional Council 
  • Toowoomba Regional Council.

Get in touch

Have a question, need some help or would like more information? We're here to help you.

QRIDA administers financial assistance to disaster affected primary producers, businesses and non-profit organisations under the joint Commonwealth / Queensland Government funded Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements 2018.

Frequently asked questions

View all FAQs

  • Exceptional Disaster Assistance Loans, Disaster Assistance Loans or Extraordinary Bushfire Assistance Loans are available to the primary production enterprise or business entity and not to each premises making up the business.

  • No, reduced profit is not an eligible purpose under the Extraordinary Bushfire Assistance Loan. 

  • Yes, you are able to claim assistance for the actual costs of any additional labour or fuel and oil incurred in the use of this plant and equipment for clean-up and reinstatement activities for the disaster event. 

  • Yes. However, you will need to provide satisfactory evidence of damage to your premises evidencing that you are unable to conduct your operations from that site and of costs associated with leasing or renting the temporary premises. 

  • Loans eligible for refinancing are those obtained from a financial institution and held immediately before the disaster event, in relation to carrying on a primary production enterprise, small business or non-profit activities, other than any of the following types of loans:

    1. off-balance sheet financing
    2. a short-term credit facility
    3. a loan established at a concessional rate under a Commonwealth or State government scheme or
    4. an equipment finance loan.

  • Freecall 1800 623 946 for assistance with your loan application. Alternatively, your accountant, bank or financial or business advisor may also be able to assist with your application also.

  • All applicants must have utilised their sources of liquid assets and normal credit sources up to normal credit limits, meaning you must utilise your overdraft as part of your overall funding requirements. 

  • Yes, if your insurance claim is being delayed, you can apply for a loan to reinstate your business before your claim is finalised. If any expenses included in your loan are later recovered from insurance, QRIDA will require these amounts be repaid to your loan. 

  • No, you are unable to claim the same direct damage expenses under both the grant and loan scheme. However, if you are an eligible primary producer and your expenses have exceeded the amount of assistance available under the grants scheme, you can seek loan assistance for the expenses that were not covered by the grant. 

  • In order to give you the best chance of success, QRIDA needs to understand the historical performance of your business, your current position and your plan moving forward. Without this information, QRIDA would be unable to determine the level of assistance you need and your prospects of returning to a viable business with the assistance provided. 

  • Yes, the cashflow budget template provided by QRIDA is not mandatory. If you have your own cashflow budget template then you are able to provide this to QRIDA as part of your loan application. However, please note that an itemised monthly cashflow is required for all applications, preferably in a financial year (July to June) format.

     

  • Yes, in limited circumstances funds can be used to refinance a commercial loan.

  • Businesses must have been operating immediately before the disaster event and must have operated within the defined disaster area.

  • Yes, if you are unable to meet core operating expenses (e.g. lease payments, property rates, wages, creditors) due to the impact of the disaster event then you are able to seek loan assistance to fund your working capital requirements beyond your existing credit limits. 

New, events and stories

Related information

The Extraordinary Bushfire Assistance Loans closed on 31 December 2020.

If you have been directly impacted and still require assistance, please contact QRIDA to discuss your situation.

Non-profit organisations whose assets have been significantly damaged as a direct result of by the Queensland Bushfires, September - December 2019 disaster event may be able to access low interest loans of up to $500,000. 

The Extraordinary Bushfire Assistance Loans are intended to help eligible non-profit organisations pay for the costs of repairing or replacing assets lost or damaged because of the disaster and to provide working capital to assist entities meet expenses. 

What assistance is available?

These concessional loans are provided to assist re-establish the normal operations of a non-profit organisations by covering costs such as:

  • repairing or replacing damaged plant, equipment or buildings
  • meeting carry-on requirements including:
    • paying salaries or wages
    • paying creditors
    • paying rent and rates
    • buying goods, including fuel, for the purpose of carrying on the non-profit organisation activities.

Defined disaster areas 

Extraordinary Bushfire Assistance Loans for non-profit organisations have been activated for the following local government areas:

  • Scenic Rim Regional Council
  • Southern Downs Regional Council.

Get in touch

Have a question, need some help or would like more information? We're here to help you.

QRIDA administers financial assistance to disaster affected primary producers, businesses and non-profit organisations under the joint Commonwealth / Queensland Government funded Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements 2018.

Frequently asked questions

View all FAQs

  • No, reduced profit is not an eligible purpose under the Extraordinary Bushfire Assistance Loan. 

  • No, you are unable to claim the same direct damage expenses under both the grant and loan scheme. However, if you are an eligible primary producer and your expenses have exceeded the amount of assistance available under the grants scheme, you can seek loan assistance for the expenses that were not covered by the grant. 

  • Yes, if your insurance claim is being delayed, you can apply for a loan to reinstate your business before your claim is finalised. If any expenses included in your loan are later recovered from insurance, QRIDA will require these amounts be repaid to your loan. 

  • All applicants must have utilised their sources of liquid assets and normal credit sources up to normal credit limits, meaning you must utilise your overdraft as part of your overall funding requirements. 

  • Yes, you are able to claim assistance for the actual costs of any additional labour or fuel and oil incurred in the use of this plant and equipment for clean-up and reinstatement activities for the disaster event. 

  • In order to give you the best chance of success, QRIDA needs to understand the historical performance of your business, your current position and your plan moving forward. Without this information, QRIDA would be unable to determine the level of assistance you need and your prospects of returning to a viable business with the assistance provided. 

  • Businesses must have been operating immediately before the disaster event and must have operated within the defined disaster area.

  • Yes, the cashflow budget template provided by QRIDA is not mandatory. If you have your own cashflow budget template then you are able to provide this to QRIDA as part of your loan application. However, please note that an itemised monthly cashflow is required for all applications, preferably in a financial year (July to June) format.

     

  • Loans eligible for refinancing are those obtained from a financial institution and held immediately before the disaster event, in relation to carrying on a primary production enterprise, small business or non-profit activities, other than any of the following types of loans:

    1. off-balance sheet financing
    2. a short-term credit facility
    3. a loan established at a concessional rate under a Commonwealth or State government scheme or
    4. an equipment finance loan.

  • Exceptional Disaster Assistance Loans, Disaster Assistance Loans or Extraordinary Bushfire Assistance Loans are available to the primary production enterprise or business entity and not to each premises making up the business.

  • Yes. However, you will need to provide satisfactory evidence of damage to your premises evidencing that you are unable to conduct your operations from that site and of costs associated with leasing or renting the temporary premises. 

  • Freecall 1800 623 946 for assistance with your loan application. Alternatively, your accountant, bank or financial or business advisor may also be able to assist with your application also.

  • Yes, in limited circumstances funds can be used to refinance a commercial loan.

  • Yes, if you are unable to meet core operating expenses (e.g. lease payments, property rates, wages, creditors) due to the impact of the disaster event then you are able to seek loan assistance to fund your working capital requirements beyond your existing credit limits. 

News, events and stories

Related information
Last updated
01 January 2021