The objective of this assistance measure, provided under the disaster recovery funding arrangements, is to support communities to recover after an eligible disaster

The Essential Working Capital Loans Scheme provides concessional loans to small business owners who have suffered a significant loss of income as a result of an eligible disaster.

Loans are provided for continuing the normal operations of the small business.

Defined disaster areas

The Minister for Fire and Emergency Services has activated disaster assistance for:

Tropical Cyclone Alfred and Severe Weather, commencing 1 March 2025

• Brisbane City Council
• Bundaberg Regional Council
• Fraser Coast Regional Council
• Gold Coast City Council
• Gympie Regional Council
• Ipswich City Council
• Lockyer Valley Regional Council
• Logan City Council
• Moreton Bay City Council
• Noosa Shire Council
• Redland City Council
• Scenic Rim Regional Council
• Somerset Regional Council
• Southern Downs Regional Council
• Sunshine Coast Regional Council
• Toowoomba Regional Council

Applications close 31 December 2026

North and Far North Tropical Low, 29 January - 28 February 2025

• Burdekin Shire Council
• Cairns Regional Council
• Cassowary Coast Regional Council
• Charters Towers Regional Council
• Hinchinbrook Shire Council
• Palm Island Aboriginal Shire Council
• Townsville City Council
• Yarrabah Aboriginal Shire Council

Applications close 31 December 2026

Southern Summer Rainfall and Flooding, 9 December 2024 - 14 January 2025

• South Burnett Regional Council

Applications close 31 December 2026

South Queensland Severe Storms and Rainfall, 24 December 2023 - 3 January 2024 

• City of Gold Coast Council
• Logan City Council
• Scenic Rim Regional Council

Applications close 31 December 2025.

Tropical Cyclone Jasper, associated rainfall and flooding, 13 - 28 December 2023 

• Cairns Regional Council
• Cassowary Coast Regional Council
• Cook Shire Council
• Douglas Shire Council
• Mareeba Shire Council
• Tablelands Regional Council
• Wujal Wujal Aboriginal Shire Council
• Yarrabah Aboriginal Shire Council

Applications close 31 December 2025.

Southern Queensland Fires, 8 September - 7 November 2023

To be eligible for assistance your property must be located in one of the defined disaster areas:

• Western Downs Regional Council

Applications close 31 December 2025.

What assistance is available?

Concessional loans are provided to assist you with essential working capital for expenses such as: 

• paying salaries or wages 
• paying creditors 
• paying rent or rates 
• buying goods, including for example, fuel essential to carry-on the small business.

Eligibility criteria:

To be eligible for a loan: 

• the applicant must be a small business owner
• before the eligible disaster, the applicant carried on a small business in the defined disaster area 
• the applicant has suffered a significant loss of income as a result of the eligible disaster

To be eligible applicants must also: 

• provide adequate security and loans must be secured by:
  • a mortgage of land and other assets satisfactory to QRIDA; and
  • any other security considered necessary, for example – a Specific Security Agreement over plant and machinery, or a General Securities Agreement.
• continue to carry on the small business in the defined disaster area
• have reasonable prospects for carrying on the small business on a viable basis with the assistance given
• have used all liquid assets and all normal credit sources up to normal credit limits (this will be assessed in relation to the expected cost of recovery and projected cash flow shortfalls) 
• have no reasonable prospects of obtaining commercial finance to carry on the business
• have not received another concessional loan for loss or damage that was related to the eligible disaster 
• have not taken excessive risks in carrying on the small business.

• Address: GPO Box 211 Brisbane 4001 QLD
• Phone: 1800 623 946
• Fax: 07 3032 0300
• Email: contact_us@qrida.qld.gov.au