The Australian Government has agreed to provide additional assistance to help families hit by the impact of severe flooding in Mackay.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Queensland Premier Anna Bligh made the announcement in Mackay this afternoon.
The additional assistance will be made available under the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA) after requests from the Queensland Government and briefings from officers on the impact of the floods on local communities.
The Australian Government will continue to work with the Queensland Government to help families and businesses in Mackay get back on their feet.
Although the standard Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements already apply the government believes special arrangements are warranted to assist small businesses and primary producers to fix the damage and get back on their feet.
Grants will be made available for small businesses and farmers of up to $10,000 or up to $25,000 in exceptional circumstances depending on the extent or cost of losses.
The additional grants will be jointly funded by the Commonwealth and State and Governments on a 50/50 basis.
This money will help local businesses and farmers that have experienced severe damage from the floods with activities such as restocking, replanting and cleanup.
The Mackay region was declared a natural disaster area on 14 February.
The Australian Government has already announced that it would provide additional assistance to Mackay region residents seriously affected by the floods.
The Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment (AGDRP) is available to those people adversely affected by the storms and associated flooding that commenced in the Mackay region on 14 February.
Those eligible will be able to receive a one off payment of $1000 for adults and $400 for each child to help relieve their hardship.
Personal hardship assistance, aid to restore public assets, payments for counter disaster operations and assistance for primary producers and small businesses have already been activated under the joint State-Commonwealth NDRRA.
Under the personal hardship provisions, people affected by flooding in these local government areas can apply for grants of up to $160 per person and $740 per family for essentials such as food, dry clothes and accommodation.
Assistance for affected producers and small business is in the form of concessional loans of up to $150,000 as well as the new grants announced today.
Eligible producers can also apply for up to 50 per cent of their total freight costs.