This scheme provides Queensland drought-declared farming businesses with subsidies and rebates of between $20,000 and $50,000 per property, per financial year to help manage the welfare of their livestock during drought.
Who can apply:
At a minimum, you must:
- be a Queensland primary producer
- spend more than 50% of your labour on the farm and derive more than 50% of your gross income from the farm
- be a property owner, share-farmer or lessee in the grazing industry (beef cattle, sheep, dairy cattle, goats, deer or horses that are not normally hand-fed)
- have a property within a State drought-declared area or have a current Individually Droughted Property (IDP) declaration
- *Other eligibility requirements may apply.
Overview
Drought Relief Assistance Scheme (DRAS) provides primary producers with drought-declared properties with various subsidies and rebates to help them manage the welfare of their livestock during and after drought.
There are three assistance measures available while an area or property is drought-declared and two assistance measures after the drought declaration is revoked.
During drought, primary producers may be eligible for:
- freight subsidies for transporting fodder
- freight subsidies for transporting water
- the Emergency Water Infrastructure Rebate (EWIR), which provides a rebate on the purchase and installation of water infrastructure installed for emergency animal welfare needs
After a property has had its drought declaration revoked, primary producers may be eligible for:
- freight subsidies for transporting livestock returning from agistment
- freight subsidies for transporting livestock purchased for restocking
The maximum initial amount of funding available under DRAS is a total of $20,000 per property, per financial year.
Once the $20,000 limit has been reached, you may apply to extend the limit up to $50,000, depending on the length of time your property has been in drought. Applications for an extension to the funding limit must be accompanied by a drought management plan (DMP) which must be endorsed by the Agency.
How to apply
For more information, guidelines and forms on rebates, subsidies and assistance available under the Drought Relief Assistance Scheme –follow this link: https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-priorities/agriculture/disaster-recovery/drought/assistance-programs/guidelines-forms
For more information contact: 13 25 23 or [email protected].