Frequently asked questions

The below FAQs specifically relate to the Special Disaster Grants for flood events that occurred from 4 August 2022 and/or 14 September 2022 (AGRNs 1030 and/or 1034).

What is the Special Disaster Grant?

The Special Disaster Grant is designed to help pay for the costs of clean-up and reinstatement of primary production enterprises that have suffered direct damage as a result of an eligible disaster.

Who can apply for the Special Disaster Grant?

Producers impacted by both the August and September flood events, who are in an LGA declared for both AGRN 1030 and AGRN 1034, may submit one Special Disaster Grant application covering damages across both events up to a maximum of $75,000.

To be eligible for the grant, applicants must:

• be a primary producer
• draw at least 50% of your gross income from your primary production enterprise
• contribute a part of your labour to the primary production enterprise
• hold an Australian Business Number (ABN) and have held that ABN at the time of the disaster
• have a primary production enterprise located in the defined area that has suffered direct damage as a result of this event
• have been engaged in carrying on the primary production enterprise when affected by this event
• have lodged an application on or before the application close date listed on the RAA website
• intend to re-establish or continue the primary production enterprise.

How much can I claim and do I need to repay the Special Disaster Grant?

A $25,000 up-front payment is available to approved eligible applicants.

You will be eligible for the up-front payment if:

• you have not received any other Special Disaster Grants for flood events since February this year; or
• you were approved for the Special Disaster Grant for severe weather and flooding that occurred from February 2022 (AGRN 1012) and/or June 2022 (AGRN 1025) and you have evidenced your expenditure of the up-front payments you received.  Applicants can verify expenditure by submitting valid tax invoices as well as proof of payment.

If you cannot verify the expenditure of funds received for previous events, you may still be reimbursed for eligible expenses, through the provision and verification of valid tax invoices and proof of payments made.

Producers impacted by both the August and September flood events, who are located in LGAs declared for both AGRN 1030 and 1034, may submit one Special Disaster Grant application covering damages across both events up to a maximum of $75,000.

This is a grant and not a loan, meaning you don’t need to repay the funds.

Can I apply more than once if I have multiple properties?

Applicants who operate their primary production enterprise under a single ABN on separate properties may apply for multiple grants if they can satisfy the below criteria:

• the staffing arrangements of the separate primary production enterprises
• whether the primary production enterprises have their own plant, equipment or stock
• the accounting arrangements of the separate primary production enterprises
• whether the separate primary production enterprises operate under their own trading names
• the commercial scale, viability and autonomy of each primary production enterprise.

I run my primary production enterprise on the same property as another primary producer. Can we both apply?

Where two or more independent and separately owned and registered primary producers operate from the same property, each primary producer may receive a grant to the maximum available. See program guidelines for more information.

How long do I have to apply?

Application close dates vary depending on your LGA. Please refer to the RAA website for close dates for applications and claims.

Can I apply for the Special Disaster Grant before I have incurred expenses?

Yes, application forms can be completed online before costs

What information do I need to provide with my application?

Applicants must provide a complete application form and:

• latest farm business tax returns and financial statements plus personal tax return of all members of the business
• local council rates notice , or for land based aquaculture farms your Aquaculture Permit number/s for your property and for lease holders, your Class A aquaculture Permit number
• other evidence such as quotes, estimates, tax invoices and/or photos.

If you have been approved for assistance and provided the above documents to us in the past 12 months, you may not need to provide them again.

Please refer to the program guidelines for a full list of criteria.

What do I do if I don’t have my current tax returns?

You can provide permission for the RAA to contact your accountant directly to obtain them.

Where can I get a copy of my council rates notice?

You can request a copy of your rates notice directly from your local council.

I have more than three properties however the application form only allows me to enter the details of three?

You should enter the details of the properties where the majority of damage was incurred. If you require further information, please contact the RAA directly on 1800 678 593.

Is GST included in any payment received?

No, GST is not included. The GST component of any invoice received can be claimed on completion of your Business Activity Statement (BAS). The RAA will not issue a Recipient Created Tax Invoice (RCTI) on payment of the rebate, and you should retain the Payment Advice that is forwarded as a record for taxation purposes. Please consult with your accountant or financial advisor for further advice.

Do I need to provide financial statements if I am an existing RAA customer?

If you have previously submitted tax returns to the RAA for the financial year 2020/2021 or more recently, you will not need to provide further information.

How do I prove damage from the severe weather and/or floods?

To make it easier for you to apply, the RAA has access to third party damage assessment information, for example high-resolution imagery, to confirm the extent of the impacts in declared flood-affected local government areas in NSW.

However, it is important that you provide reasonable evidence of severe weather/flood damage with your application so we can fully assess your situation.

Some examples include:

• quotes or estimates for works to be completed
• tax invoices of expenses incurred for clean up or salvage works already completed following the severe weather and flooding which commenced on 4 August 2022 or 14 September 2022.
• photos taken of damaged property with time, date and location stamps – these are not mandatory however will assist us to assess your claim.

What evidence do I need to provide to receive payment of the Special Disaster Grant?

A total of $75,000 is available for primary producers. Funds of up to $25,000 will be provided to eligible, approved applicants, without the need to provide evidence of payment at the point of application. Such funds can be provided on the basis of quotes or estimates.

If you have applied for more than $25,000 you will be required to provide proof of payment for both the first $25,000, as well as any amount over $25,000 up to the maximum of $75,000. Proof of payment can come in the form of bank statements, receipts, zero balance invoices.

Do I need to provide proof of payment of the $75,000 upfront?

You can elect to provide proof of payment such as invoices for the full $75,000 or you can choose to do this in stages as you incur the cost.

We recommend you wait for the outcome of your application before submitting invoices. Once your application has been assessed an assessment officer will send you information to assist with the claims process.

What if I haven’t been in business long enough for my business to achieve 50% production yet?

The RAA will look at your situation. Some businesses will take a shorter period of time to achieve full production (e.g. beef cattle) while others will take longer (e.g. orchards). We will review your financial statements and look for a trend toward the timeline to full production that fits for your industry. The RAA may request additional information to support your application (e.g. cash flow forecast).

What can I apply for?

The Special Disaster Grant is designed to assist impacted primary producers to pay for immediate clean-up and repairs to infrastructure and replacing livestock (including oyster spat). Eligible activities are outlined in the program guidelines, please check the guidelines prior to applying.

Please note, ‘future resilience’ focusses on replacement of infrastructure including fencing and roads where the intention of the replacement is to improve resilience to future natural disaster events through the use of more durable materials or design. The intention is to encourage responsible infrastructure replacement rather than business expansion.

Funding cannot be used for activities already covered by insurance or other government funding programs.

Can I use the Special Disaster Grant to buy replacement plant and machinery that was damaged?

Yes, you can use the grant to cover the repair or replacement costs of agricultural equipment.

Can I claim the loss of income?

No, the grant cannot be used to reimburse the loss of income.

Can I claim for the hours I spend on clean up and repairing the business?

You can claim for third parties including independent contractors to help with clean up and repair. When it comes to paying staff, the time of owners or shareholders in the business cannot be claimed. You can, however, claim the hours of employees who have no ownership role in the business, where you can show that those hours are above standard day to day wages and can be explained on the basis of cleaning up and repairs in relation to the natural disaster event.

I have never had to plant pasture before as I have always had natural growth, however due to flooding I now don’t have any feed in the paddock and the pasture recovery process will be slow, likely taking months to re-grow. Can I claim for pasture recovery?

Yes – you can claim for pasture recovery. To assess claims for pasture recovery we need evidence of how much of the paddock has been damaged and an understanding of what the land was being used for prior to the flood and the future intentions. Please provide any supporting information or documents, which could include, previous invoices for expenses, invoices for input costs and/or photos.

I want to salvage my crop and/or restore my fields – what can I claim?

Yes, you can claim for salvaging crops and restoring fields. To assess these claims we need evidence of how much of the crop/fields has been damaged and an understanding of what the land was being used for prior to the flood and the future intentions. Please provide any supporting information or documents which could include, previous invoices for expenses, invoices for input costs and/or photos.

Can I use my own machinery to clear my paddocks?

Yes, you can use your own machinery however, under the grant guidelines the RAA will only pay for the diesel/fuel cost associated with the use of your own machinery and the amount of fuel that machine uses. You will be required to complete a detailed logbook showing hours worked, details of improvements, machinery used, etc. and the paid diesel/fuel invoice showing the litres purchased.

Only part of my crop has been impacted by the flood event – am I able to claim costs associated with the replacement of this crop?

Yes, replacement of damaged crops is eligible however, evidence is required to demonstrate the extent of the damages being claimed. Please provide any supporting information or documents which could include, previous invoices for expenses, invoices for input costs and/or photos. Please note if only a portion of the crop has been damaged, the RAA will need to assess the full scope of damages to ascertain those replacement costs that are eligible.

Can I use this grant to cover damages where I have made a claim under insurance?

Damages covered by insurance are not eligible to be claimed under this program. You are only able to claim for portions of costs not covered by insurance.

Can I submit invoices from a non-recognised supplier?

Yes, however you may be required to provide some additional documentation to support your claim.

The RAA expects that all invoices submitted are from a recognised supplier and that the works undertaken are consistent with that supplier’s normal course of business. When assessing claims, the RAA considers the ABN, trading name and address of the entity that has issued the invoice to you, as well as their website, social media or other advertising.

If you are claiming for a product purchased from a non-recognised supplier, such as a related party or another farming enterprise, the RAA will request that the original invoice from the recognised source supplier be provided, as well as proof of payment to the related party or farming enterprise. This is to ensure that there is no double claiming of the same product. It is also to ensure that any product on sold from one applicant to another is done so without additional costs included.

If you are claiming for a service using a non-recognised contractor, we may also request that you provide a third party quote and/or photographic evidence of the damages and the completed works.

Can I apply for the Special Disaster Grant if I have already been approved for a Special Disaster Grant for a previous natural disaster event?

Yes, primary producers in declared LGAs who applied for and received disaster recovery assistance for a previous natural disaster event may also apply for the $75,000 Special Disaster Grant for the August and September 2022 event.

The RAA recognises that you may have been impacted by a number of declared disaster events over the past 12 months and that allocating a claim (i.e. an invoice) to any one of these events will be difficult. We ask that you use your best endeavours to ensure proper record keeping. RAA will work with you to allocate a claim (i.e. an invoice) to the relevant event but acknowledges that in some instances this may not be possible. In these circumstances, RAA will use our discretion to allocate the invoice to the most relevant event based on the information provided.

After I receive my initial $25,000, how do I claim the remaining $50,000?

We recommend you wait for the outcome of your application before submitting invoices. Once your application has been assessed an assessment officer will send you information to assist with the claims process.

You must submit your claims through the online claims form. You will need to have your tax invoices along with proof of payment. The RAA will send information via email with a link to the claim form once your grant is approved. The claim form will ask you for some of the details found on your invoices and will then ask you to upload a copy of the invoice and proof of payment.

How long will it take to be approved?

Our commitment to you is to assess your application efficiently and effectively to help bring your primary production enterprise back to normal operations as quickly as possible.

How does the RAA protect itself against fraud?

The RAA has a strong commitment to fraud prevention, detection, and response. Making a fraudulent application, including providing false or misleading information, is a criminal offence which carries a maximum penalty of two years imprisonment, or a fine of $22,000, or both.

The RAA will also attempt to recover any assistance received as a result of fraud.

More information can be found on our Fraud and Corruption page on our website.