Drought Relief Assistance Scheme QLD

The Drought Relief Assistance Scheme provides subsidies and rebates to drought-declared farming businesses to help manage the welfare of their livestock during drought.
Open
Application detail:

Applications may be made at any time.

What do you get?

Subsidies and rebates between $20,000 and $50,000.

Who is this for?

Queensland drought-declared businesses.

Overview

There are 3 assistance measures available while an area or property is drought-declared and 2 assistance measures after the drought declaration is revoked.

During drought, primary producers may be eligible for:

  • freight subsidies for transporting fodder
  • freight subsidies for transporting water
  • the Emergency Water Infrastructure Rebate (EWIR), which provides a rebate on the purchase and installation of water infrastructure installed for emergency animal welfare needs

After a property has had its drought declaration revoked, primary producers may be eligible for:

  • freight subsidies for transporting livestock returning from agistment
  • freight subsidies for transporting livestock purchased for restocking

The maximum initial amount of funding available under DRAS is a total of $20,000 per property, per financial year.

Once the $20,000 limit has been reached, you may apply to extend the limit up to $50,000, depending on the length of time your property has been in drought. Applications for an extension to the funding limit must be accompanied by a drought management plan (DMP) which must be endorsed by the Agency.

Check if you can apply

To be eligible, you must:

  • be a Queensland primary producer who is a person or a partner in a partnership, company or trust
  • spend more than 50% of your labour on the farm and derive more than 50% of your gross income from a primary production enterprise
  • be a property owner, share-farmer or lessee in the grazing industry (beef cattle, sheep, dairy cattle, goats, deer or horses that are not normally hand-fed)
  • have a property within a State drought-declared area or have a current Individually Droughted Property (IDP) declaration
  • have not introduced any livestock on to the property during the current drought or in the 3 month period prior to the drought declaration, including any livestock taken on for agistment

Further eligibility criteria apply depending on the assistance measure you are applying for.

Apply now

Apply for the Drought Relief Assistance Scheme QLD

Find out more about your eligibility and how to apply.

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