Up to $50,000 Available to Queensland Farmers
- Nijo Antony
- Feb 2
- 3 min read
Drought isn’t a matter of if - it’s a matter of when.
The Queensland Government is offering grants of up to $50,000 to help primary producers invest in permanent infrastructure that strengthens their business before the next dry cycle hits. This is about being proactive, improving resilience, and putting your property in a stronger position long term.
Is Your Area Required to Be Drought Declared?
No. You do not need to be in a drought-declared area to apply.
This program is focused on preparedness, not crisis response. If you are an eligible primary producer operating in Queensland and meet the criteria, you may apply regardless of current seasonal conditions.
This is about strengthening your operation before things tighten up, not waiting until they already have.
How Much Funding Is Available?
The grant provides 25% of the cost of eligible permanent capital infrastructure, up to a maximum of $50,000 per business.
Example:
Spend $80,000 → potential grant of $20,000
Spend $250,000 → grant capped at $50,000
Keep in mind, the $50,000 cap includes any funding received under previous rounds of this scheme.
What Can It Be Used For?
The funding is designed for permanent capital infrastructure that improves your ability to prepare for drought, continue operating during drought, and recover after drought.
Examples:
Pipes, water tanks and troughs
Dam construction or de-silting
Drilling a working bore
Irrigation upgrades
Water pumps and associated power supply
Grain or fodder storage infrastructure
Feeding and mixing equipment
Contractor costs directly related to the project
It can also include freight and certain consumables tied directly to completing the infrastructure project.
This is about building long-term resilience into your operation, not just getting through the next season.
What It Can’t Be Used For
The grant cannot be used for employee wages, buying machinery such as tractors or graders, motor vehicles, repairs or maintenance of existing infrastructure, test or dry bores, or loan repayments and refinancing.
In short, this is for strengthening your infrastructure, not covering everyday running costs.
The Part Many Businesses Struggle With
Here’s where a lot of producers hit a wall.
To qualify, you must have a Farm Business Resilience Plan in place. And not just a basic document, it needs to properly identify your drought risks, outline mitigation strategies, cover preparing, managing during and recovering from drought, include the specific project you’re applying for, and set clear goals and realistic costings.
The project must be clearly linked to that plan.
On paper, it sounds straightforward. In reality, many businesses find the documentation requirements and structure hard to navigate, especially when you’re already busy running the operation.
Example
Let’s say David and Karen run a cattle property near Emerald.
They know water distribution across paddocks is their biggest drought risk. Their resilience plan identifies installing additional pipeline infrastructure and trough systems to improve rotational grazing and reduce pressure during dry seasons.
The project cost is $150,000.
Under the scheme, 25% may be reimbursed, that’s $37,500 back into the business.
That funding reduces pressure on cash flow while making the property stronger long term. But without a properly prepared and structured resilience plan, that application simply won’t get through.
How We Can Help
At WLW Group, we work with primary producers every day. We understand the financial, tax and structural side of these projects, and we understand what assessors are looking for.
We can help prepare or review your Farm Business Resilience Plan, make sure your proposed project aligns properly with the scheme requirements, assist with cash flow and funding strategy for the 75% co-contribution, and support you through the process from start to finish. We’ll walk you through it and take the stress out of it.
If you’re considering water infrastructure upgrades, storage improvements, irrigation changes or other drought resilience projects, now is the time to have the conversation.
Contact our office for the full details and let’s look at whether this grant could work for your business.
Nijo Antony
Director
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