DRFA categories

DRFA activation can be requested by any state agency or local government by submitting an Activation Request form to QRA via the MARS portal detailing the disaster situation and requesting activation of this relief measure.

Note: local governments do not have a trigger point for this relief measure.

Learn how to apply including steps and key dates.

Personal Hardship Assistance Scheme (Category A) is for one-off payments to alleviate personal hardship and distress: 

• Emergency Hardship Assistance – a grant to address the immediate needs (e.g. food, clothing, emergency accommodation or medical supplies) of individuals and families who are unable to support/fund their own relief and recovery.
• Essential Services Hardship Assistance – a grant to individuals or families who are suffering hardship due to loss of essential services for more than five days and are unable to support/fund their own relief and recovery.
• Essential Household Contents Grant – a financial contribution towards the repair or replacement of uninsured essential household contents (income tested).
• Structural Assistance Grant – a financial contribution towards the repair of damage to an uninsured dwelling (including caravans and residential vessels) to return it to a safe, habitable and secure condition (income tested). 

If DFSDSCS 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, DFSDSCS will contact QRA to request activation. If local government identifies a need for activation, they are to contact DFSDSCS directly.

DRFA activation can be requested by any state agency or local government by submitting an Activation Request form to QRA via the MARS portal detailing the disaster situation and requesting activation of this relief measure.

Learn how to apply including steps and key dates.

Reconstruction to pre‑disaster function of eligible, uninsured, essential public assets damaged as a direct result of an eligible disaster. 

Note: local governments must have eligible expenditure exceeding their trigger points to be able to submit for reimbursement.

Requested by any state agency or local government by submitting an Activation Request form to QRA via the MARS portal detailing the disaster situation and estimated expenditure.

Learn how to apply including steps and key dates.

Concessional loans up to $250,000 to small business operators to repair or replace damaged buildings, plant and equipment, or stock. 

CDSB will provide regional support to source information from state agencies and local governments, industry bodies, small businesses and ‘on the ground’ observations from staff visiting affected area. 

If CDSB identifies a need for the activation of this relief measure, CDSB will contact QRA to request activation. If local government identifies a need for activation, they are to contact CDSB directly.

Concessional loans up to $250,000 to primary producers to repair or replace damaged buildings, plant and equipment or livestock. 

DPI regional officers source information from state agencies and local governments, industry bodies, primary producers and ‘on the ground’ observations from staff visiting affected area. 

If DPI identifies a need for the activation of this relief measure, DPI will contact QRA to request activation. If local government identifies a need for activation, they are to contact DPI directly.

 Up to $25,000 may be made available for small businesses, primary producers and not‑for‑profit organisations that have suffered direct impact from the eligible disaster. Grants can be used for clean‑up and reinstatement, but not for providing compensation for losses (i.e. loss of income/trade). 

The requesting agency will source information from state agencies and local governments, industry bodies, Chambers of Commerce, primary producers, small businesses and on the ground observations from staff visiting the affected areas for each sector. The requesting agency will then review the information collected, and if it meets the requirements as set by the Commonwealth, a request will be forwarded to QRA for review, then on‑forwarded to DPC. If endorsed by the Premier, it will be forwarded to the Commonwealth for approval by the Prime Minister

Requested by: 

• Not-for-profit organisations – Department of Families, Seniors, Disability Services and Child Safety (DFSDSCS)
• Small business – Department of Customer Services, Open Data and Small and Family Business (CDSB).
• Primary producers – Department of Primary Industries. (DPI).

Category D relief measures may be made available when the community is so severely affected by an eligible disaster that: additional funding is required to meet the particular circumstances of the event; and where a gap or need for special assistance arises that is above and beyond the standard suite (Category A and B) of the DRFA assistance. 

Approval is by the Prime Minister and the Premier. 

If local governments identify a need for a Category D Extraordinary Special Assistance relief measure, they are encouraged to progress their request through their local disaster management group/district disaster management group to inform the State Function Recovery and Request Group, or relevant state agency, of their recovery needs. 

The requesting agency will then review the information collected, and if it meets the requirements as set by the Commonwealth, a request will be forwarded to QRA for review, then on‑forwarded to DPC. If endorsed by the Premier, it will be forwarded to the Commonwealth for approval by the Prime Minister.