To help the Townsville North Queensland business community get back on its feet, the Queensland Government has established a Small Business Recovery Centre in Townsville to provide support services to local businesses affected by the widespread flooding across the city. Business owners experiencing hardship are encouraged to use this resource to assist with the recovery process by accessing office facilities, support, advice and services on insurance, retail leases, WHS, taxation and human resources.
The Small Business Recovery Centre is located on the Ground Level, 143 Walker St, Townsville and is open seven days a week from 9:00am - 5:00pm. Recovery teams will also be providing outreach services for business owners who are unable to visit in person, or can be contacted by phoning the Centre on 0459 873 781.
An 'Open Day' is currently being organised for this Saturday 16 February at the Centre to provide business representatives the opportunity to engage with service providers assisting with the recovery. More details will be announced in the coming days.
To assist the Queensland Government better understand the impact of the flooding event on local businesses and what assistance is required, the Department of Employment, Small Business and Training is calling for all business owners to complete the Natural Disaster Business Survey. The more businesses that complete the survey the better governments can assess the level of financial support required. Click here to complete the short survey.
Flood Recovery Assistance:
Fair Work Ombudsman – Managing staff during stand down
ATO – Dealing with Disasters Assistance
Human Services – Disaster Recovery Payment
Agforce – Primary producers fodder requests
Category B Disaster Assistance Concessional Loans (under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements) are available with concessional loans of up to $250,000 and essential working capital loans of up to $100,000 for small businesses in Townsville.
Primary Producers Recovery Grants of up to $75,000 are available for eligible primary producers in the seven local government areas of Burdekin, Douglas, Townsville, Hinchinbrook, Cloncurry, McKinlay, Richmond, Flinders and Winton.
Freight subsidies of up to $5,000 per property to move essential materials such fodder, building and fencing materials, machinery and animals for restocking are also available for primary producers in Burdekin, Cloncurry, Douglas, Flinders, Hinchinbrook, McKinlay, Richmond and Townsville.
Small business owners impacted by flooding can also call the Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority (QRIDA) on 1800 623 946 for assistance or visit the QRIDA website by clicking here for more information on the concessional loans available.
Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC): North Queensland Supplier Flood Register
The North Queensland Flood Register, launched by the QBCC, allows residents impacted by the recent flooding event to search for licensed contractors who are available to assist with property repairs. The register is now open for licensed contractors, including licensed asbestos removers and electrical trades. The registration page can be found here.
