Our role in disaster funding activations
QRA has a role in the activation of disaster funding for the following disaster relief and recovery programs:
- Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA)
- State Disaster Relief Arrangements (SDRA).
Activation for disaster funding under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA)
The DRFA is a joint funding initiative of the Australian and state governments to provide disaster relief and recovery payments and infrastructure restoration to help communities recover from the effects of natural disasters and terrorist acts.
In Queensland, the DRFA is managed on a whole-of-government basis by the Queensland Reconstruction Authority (QRA).
The DRFA can be activated when the event meets the definition of an eligible disaster, to provide funding and support to Queensland communities.
Local governments or state agencies that have been impacted by, or responded to an eligible disaster, may request a funding activation of two funding relief measures under the DRFA.
DRFA activation relies on the damage, loss and personal hardship information provided by state agencies and local governments.
The QRA assists local and state governments address the Australian Government determined criteria required for DRFA activation. If a local government area has been activated and the criteria has been met, state and federal funding may be provided to reimburse eligible expenditure incurred.
Activation of the DRFA allows for eligible expenditure to be reimbursed by QRA to activated state agencies and local governments, and for loans to be disbursed to eligible individuals, not-for-profit organisations, primary producers and small businesses. This is done in compliance with the:
- Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) 2018
- Queensland Disaster Funding Guidelines (QDFG) 2021 for events that occur from 1 July 2021 onwards
- Queensland Disaster Relief and Recovery Guidelines (QDRR) 2018 for disaster events that occurred between 1 November 2018 and 30 June 2021 inclusive.
Note: The activation of the DRFA is not dependent upon the declaration of a disaster situation. A declaration of a disaster situation is a separate action and provides extraordinary powers for the protection of the public during a disaster situation under the Disaster Management Act 2003. The declaration of a disaster situation and/or the activation of the Queensland Disaster Management Arrangements and/or the activation of the DRFA are independent and are not interlinked or conditional, although they may occur for the same event.
Activation for disaster funding under the State Disaster Relief Arrangements (SDRA)
In Queensland, the SDRA is an all hazards relief program that is 100 per cent state funded and covers natural and nonnatural disasters. The purpose of the SDRA is to address personal hardship and community needs for disaster events where the DRFA is unable to be activated.
SDRA relief measures for the Personal Hardship Assistance Scheme and Counter Disaster Operations are the same relief measures that are activated under the DRFA.
The SDRA is able to be activated when the Department of Communities, Housing and Digital Economy (DCHDE) identifies that local service providers have reached their capacity to provide a service to people experiencing personal hardship as a direct result of a disaster event, or that there are no local service providers to assist in the event of a disaster. The Director-General of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet (DPC), supported by QRA, is responsible for activating the SDRA. QRA will coordinate the delivery of the SDRA assistance measures.
If a local government or state agency has been impacted by a disaster and is unsure if a disaster meets the definition of the SDRA, it is recommended the agency contacts QRA as soon as possible to discuss potential activation. QRA will liaise with DCHDE to determine if there is a need to activate the SDRA.
Additional funding
Additional funding outside the DRFA and SDRA could be made available by the Australian Government to assist communities to recover, such as the Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment (AGDRP) and the Australian Government Disaster Recovery Allowance (AGDRA). For information on funding available from the Australian Government visit the Disaster Assist website: