Available Disaster Support
Disaster Support Agencies and Services
Farming families within disaster declared areas are encouraged to apply for a range of assistance from agencies including the following, noting that agencies may change their support at any time due to available funding:
Comprehensive drought support information and contacts list - PDF download
- Department of Agriculture and Fisheries website www.daf.qld.gov.au or by calling the Business Information Centre on 13 25 23.
- AgriStarter Loan Up to $2M for: Eligible first time farmers wanting to buy, establish or develop their first farm - or - Eligible farmers and farm businesses who are planning for and implementing succession arrangements
- Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority for low interest loans for drought, flood and bushfire-affected infrastructure
- Rural Financial Counselling or subscribe to their monthly newsletters here
- Australian Dam De-silting Rebate
- Queensland Country Women's Association (CWA) - which is managing distribution of funds raised through the Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery Appeal 'Help Aussie Farmers'
- Rural Aid including the 'Buy-a Bale' appeal and fund
- Farm Army - volunteers to help impacted farmers
- Drought Angels
- Salvo's Drought Appeal and support
- Guide to having supportive drought conversations
- Neami Health Service Navigator or call 1300 012 710
- Vinnies (St Vincent de Paul) call 1800 Vinnie (1800 846 643)
- Lifeline Darling Downs - Grants may be available to individuals, families and business operators and range from $1,000 to $2,000.
- Free Mental Health Support - Rural Health Connect
- Laidley Community Centre
- Lockyer Community Centre
- and others which may be found online or promoted in newspapers and publications
DOWNLOAD all 42 support brochures in a single file here
Types of support
- Financial assistance towards household expenses
- Rural Financial Counselling
- Fodder transport subsidies
- Donated goods
- Government loans
- Counselling and wellbeing support
- Volunteer assistance on farms
- Donations
Lockyer Valley Regional Council recognises the extent of the drought, floods and bushfires across many part of Australia including some areas facing tougher conditions than the Lockyer Valley and Council encourages the support of all farmers, businesses and families in need.
Donations to Drought Support Agencies
Community members should consider making donations to appeals where funds can be designated to the Lockyer Valley.
- Rural Aid Australia's 'Buy-a Bale' appeal
- Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery Appeal 'Help Aussie Famers'
- GIVIT
- Drought Angels
- Queensland Country Women's Association (QCWA)
- Salvo's Drought Appeal
- and others which may be found online or promoted in newspapers and publications
Shop Local to support our disaster-affected community
While farmers face the most direct impacts of drought, there are flow on effects to their employees, the businesses that supply to farms and the local shops where farmers and their employees shop. The whole community can be impacted by the range of disasters and Council encourages local community members to be mindful of this and to do their part by shopping local. Please consider giving a Lockyer Valley Why Leave Town gift card for birthdays, etc to encourage local spending.
Drought Support Action Plan
Council hosted the Lockyer Valley Livestock Farming Drought Support Forum in September 2019 and worked with 70 local rural landholders to develop the Drought Support Action Plan (the Plan).
The Plan contains 41 action items identified by local farmers and provides a roadmap for all stakeholders including Council, farmers, support agencies and State and Federal Governments.
Council updated the Plan in September 2020 to list the status of each action item.
The Drought Support Action Plan can be downloaded here.
Rural and regional business support
The Rural Financial Counselling Service Southern Queensland (RFCSSQ) provides free, confidential, impartial, mobile financial counselling for small, medium and primary production businesses in financial hardship.
The RFCS Programme in Queensland is funded by the Australian and Queensland Governments.
RFCSSQ have an experienced team located across Southern Queensland with offices in Biggenden, Biloela, Blackall, Bundaberg, Charleville, Emerald, Gatton, Goondiwindi, Gympie, Kingaroy, Miles/Chinchilla, Rockhampton, Roma, St George, Toowoomba and Warwick. They service these locations and surrounding areas.
Contact 07 46 225500, visit their website www.rfcssq.org.au or email admin@rfcssq.org.au for further information.
Access the RFCSSQ Rural Finances newsletter here.
Gambling Community Benefit Fund (GCBF)
$30 million to help community groups hit by flooding
A new super round of Queensland’s largest one-off funding grants has been announced to support community groups impacted by the recent natural disasters thanks to changes made to the Gambling Community Benefit Fund (GCBF).
Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Shannon Fentiman said $30 million has been set aside for the next round of the GCBF to help local community groups recover from the recent flooding events.
Any community group that has been impacted by a natural disaster in the last two years can apply for a grant of up to $100,000.
Applications from community groups for other non-recovery related projects are still welcome in this new round, however the funding for projects not linked to a natural disaster will be limited to the standard grant amount of up to $35,000.
Those groups that have applied in the Super Round and have been impacted by a natural disaster should consider their circumstances and determine whether moving their application into the new Disaster Recovery Round is more appropriate for them.
The Disaster Recovery Round will open on 16 May 2022 and close on 15 July 2022, more information about the Disaster Recovery Round will be available on the GCBF website in the coming weeks.
