Business Flood Recovery Support

QRIDA has released its business recovery support programs:

1. $250,000 Disaster Assistance Loan 
2. $100,000 Essential Working Capital Loan

The concessional loans offer potentially:

1. a loan term of up to 10 years
2. a potential interest only period for the first two years; and
3. a concessional interest rate of 1.79%

The Disaster Assistance Loan is for small businesses (fewer than 20 FTEs) who have experienced direct damage as a result of the disaster event. The loan can be used to fund repairs and reinstatement costs, and to meet normal operating expenses that the business may be unable to meet due to the impact of the disaster (i.e. lease payments, property rates, creditors)

The Essential Working Capital Loan is for small business who have been indirectly impacted as a result of the disaster event and have experienced a negative impact on their normal business cashflow and are consequently unable to meet normal operating expenses (i.e. lease payments, wages, creditors).

Some more detail about the loans are attached. The eligible regions are:

1. Cairns Regional Council
2. Cassowary Coast Regional Council
3. Cook Shire Council
4. Douglas Shire Council
5. Hopevale Aboriginal Shire Council
6. Mareeba Shire Council
7. Tablelands Regional Council
8. Wujal Wujal Aboriginal Shire Council
9. Yarrabah Aboriginal Shire Council

Applications will close 31 December 2025. Forms can be found below or head to QRIDA website for more information https://www.qrida.qld.gov.au/