The Queensland Government has announced a number of new Shires that will receive funding under the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA).

State Minister for Agriculture John McVeigh said the funding had been made available from the Federal Government after extensive lobbying.

“Category C provides clean up and recovery grants up to $25,000, for primary producers and small businesses,” Mr McVeigh said.

For primary producers, Local Government areas eligible for Category C assistance now include:

  • Bundaberg Regional Council
  • Fraser Coast Regional Council
  • North Burnett Regional Council
  • Lockyer Valley Regional Council
  • Gympie Regional Council
  • South Burnett Regional Council
  • Gladstone Regional Council
  • Scenic Rim Regional Council, Ipswich City Council (part) and Somerset Regional Council (part) areas. The boundary of this area includes:

            - all of the Scenic Rim Regional Council area

            - Somerset Regional Council south of the D’Aguilar Highway.

            - Division 10 of the Ipswich City Council area.

  • Parts of Southern Downs Regional Council including:

            - east of Keoghs Road, Old Stanthorpe Road, New England Highway to where it joins the Cunningham Highway

            - North of the Cunningham Highway and east of the Warwick-Pratton Road.

  • Parts of Goondiwindi Regional Council including:

            - west of the Yelarbon-Keetah Rd, Merton Road, Kelmans Rd, Wyaga Rd, the Gore Highway, Yagaburne-Boondandilla Rd, and the eastern boundary of lots 4 and 5 on PG97

            - east of the Lapgate Rd,  Bungunya – Alton Rd,  North Aranyi Rd, the eastern boundary of lot 12 on CVN221, North Talwood Rd, Talwood – Mungindi Rd.

  • Parts of  Banana Regional Council including:

            - west of the Callide and Auburn Ranges; and

            - east of the Banana and Cooper ranges and then east of the Baralaba-Rannes Rd

  • Parts of Toowoomba Regional Council including:

            - area south and east of the Gatton - Clifton Rd, the Greenmount- Hirstville Rd, the Nobby Connection Rd, the New England Highway, the Felton - Clifton Rd, the Back Plains Rd, the Doolan Rd, and the Clifton - Pittsworth Rd.

Category C grants provide for two tiers of assistance, with Tier 1 being an initial cash grant up to $5,000 to allow immediate repair activities and a subsequent grant requiring proof of expenditure for larger scale works.

Primary producers and small businesses should keep all receipts and invoices of expenditure and contact the Queensland Rural Adjustment Authority (QRAA) on 1800 623 946 to discuss eligibility.