Quick answer
Government disaster assistance for businesses is tied to specific events and declared local government areas. Start by searching your council area on DisasterAssist (disasterassist.gov.au), then check business.gov.au's list of business assistance for disasters, which groups grants, concessional loans and advisory services by event. State agencies deliver most programs. Keep your ABR record current with a street address so you can show eligibility.
Key points
- Assistance is event-specific and usually limited to declared local government areas.
- DisasterAssist shows declared areas; business.gov.au lists business programs by event.
- Most business grants and concessional loans are delivered by state agencies.
- An up-to-date ABR street address helps prove you're eligible.
- Declared areas
- disasterassist.gov.au
- Business programs by event
- business.gov.au · 13 28 46
- Funding framework
- Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (from 1 Nov 2018)
- Free counselling
- Small Business Debt Helpline 1800 413 828
After a flood, fire or cyclone, owners hear a lot of talk about “disaster assistance”. Some of it is real and generous. Some of it has already closed, or applies to households rather than businesses, or covers a different council area. Knowing where to look saves days.
We put this page first in our disaster help section because it’s the first thing we’d do ourselves: find out exactly what applies to your event and your address before you borrow a dollar.
How does disaster assistance work in Australia?
Most government help after a natural disaster sits under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA). These apply to eligible events from 1 November 2018. The Australian and state governments share the cost, and state and territory agencies deliver the assistance. For individuals and communities, DisasterAssist notes the Australian Government may fund up to 75 per cent.
For businesses, the DRFA can include:
- clean-up and recovery grants to help businesses, including farm businesses, resume trading
- concessional loans or interest subsidies for small businesses and primary producers
- transport freight subsidies for primary producers
Assistance isn’t automatic. It’s activated for a particular event, in particular local government areas, and each program has its own rules and closing date. More severe events can also trigger exceptional-circumstances packages.
How do you check if your area has been declared?
- Go to DisasterAssist (disasterassist.gov.au) and use the map or search to find the declared local government areas for your event.
- Check business.gov.au’s disaster assistance page. It lists business programs by event — for example, recent entries covered Cyclone Narelle (March 2026), the January 2026 Victorian bushfires, North Queensland flooding in 2025–26, the November–December 2025 NSW East Coast bushfires and the May 2025 NSW East Coast severe weather.
- Go to the state agency running each program for guidelines, eligibility and closing dates. See our list of recovery contacts by state.
- Call business.gov.au on 13 28 46 if you’re unsure what applies.
What kinds of business help might you find?
| Type | Examples from business.gov.au’s current list | More |
|---|---|---|
| Recovery grants | Up to $25,000 via Service NSW (May 2025 severe weather) | Recovery grants |
| Concessional loans | QRIDA Disaster Assistance Loans and Essential Working Capital Loans; NSW RAA Natural Disaster Relief Loans up to $130,000 | Concessional loans |
| Advice and counselling | Business Victoria’s Business Recovery Advisory Service and Small Business Financial Counselling Service | Free support |
| Income support | Disaster Recovery Allowance for people who lost income as a direct result of the event | Services Australia |
| Tax relief | ATO deferrals, payment plans, replacement records | ATO disaster support |
| Bank hardship | Repayment deferrals, fee waivers, extra finance | Your bank |
Programs change constantly, so treat this as a map of what to look for rather than a list of what’s open today.
What should you prepare before applying?
Most programs ask for similar evidence. Having it ready speeds everything up:
- ABN and your Australian Business Register details (with a street address)
- Proof the business was operating in the declared area — rates notice, lease, utility bills
- Photos of damage and a loss list
- Quotes, invoices and receipts for clean-up and repairs
- Insurance policy and claim details (many grants cover only uninsured costs)
- Recent BAS, tax return or bank statements showing normal trade
Our emergency action checklist has a “documents to save” list for each type of event.
If you’re pulling this together and realising the grants won’t cover everything, you can ask us about funding the gap — enquiring doesn’t involve a credit check.
What are the common traps?
- Assuming a grant covers insured losses. Many programs are for costs your insurance doesn’t cover.
- Missing closing dates. Programs typically have firm deadlines.
- Applying from the wrong address. If your ABR shows a PO box or an old address outside the declared area, fix it.
- Waiting for the grant before doing anything. Some grants reimburse costs already spent — keep every receipt from day one.
- Treating grant money as tax-free by default. The ATO says disaster grants are assessable unless they’re on its list of non-assessable non-exempt payments. See are disaster grants taxable?
What if government help won’t be enough?
For most businesses, disaster assistance is one piece of the recovery rather than the whole of it. Grants are capped, concessional loans take time to approve and insurers pay on their own schedule. A realistic plan combines:
- insurance
- any grants and concessional loans you qualify for
- hardship arrangements with your bank, landlord and the ATO
- your own cash
- recovery funding for whatever gap remains — see emergency business loans
Illustrative example only: a plumbing business in a declared flood area gets a recovery grant for clean-up, an ATO deferral and an insurance payout for its van. The workshop tools weren’t covered. A small unsecured facility replaces them so the business can take the flood-repair work pouring in.
Want help with the part grants don’t cover?
Official help first is the right order. If there’s still a gap once you’ve checked it all, that’s where we come in.
An enquiry doesn’t touch your credit file; that only comes up if you choose to go ahead. You won’t get a wave of calls from lenders you’ve never heard of, because we don’t pass enquiries around. A specialist looks at your situation properly before picking up the phone.
Accurate details on the form (amount, purpose, state, any property) are what let us match you properly on that first call. Tell us what happened.
Frequently asked questions
What is DisasterAssist?
It's the Australian Government's disaster information site. It lets you search the local government areas declared for each natural disaster, where people can then apply for disaster recovery payments, and links to other agencies for further help.
Does my business qualify for disaster assistance?
It depends on the event, your location and the program's criteria. Most business programs require that your business is in a declared area, was directly affected, and meets size or ownership tests. Read the guidelines for each program before applying.
Who runs disaster grants for businesses?
Most are jointly funded by the Australian and state governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements and delivered by state agencies — for example Service NSW, the NSW Rural Assistance Authority, QRIDA in Queensland and Business Victoria.
Why does my ABR address matter?
business.gov.au advises keeping your Australian Business Register details up to date with your actual street address rather than a PO box, so you can show you're eligible for government emergency assistance.
What if no assistance is activated for my event?
You can still get help: the ATO can discuss deferrals and payment plans, banks may offer hardship arrangements, and free financial counselling is available. Insurance and private funding then carry more of the load.