Queensland Disaster Resilience Fund (QDRF)

This program aims to support projects to strengthen the resilience of Queensland communities and help them better prepare for disasters.

The 2018-19 objectives of the program are to support delivery of projects that:
- Are cost effective and evidence based.
- Align with the Queensland Strategy for Disaster Resilience (QSDR) objectives:
a) Queenslanders understand their disaster risk.
b) Strengthened disaster risk management.
c) Queenslanders are invested in disaster risk reduction.
d) Continuous improvement in disaster preparedness, response and recovery.
- Address identified state-risk priorities (including risks under the Queensland State Natural Hazard Risk Assessment 2017).

Funding of up to $2 million is available, as a subsidy towards the eligible project costs, with all applicants expected to make a financial contribution towards the eligible project costs.

A total funding pool of $38 million is available over four years, $9.5 million of which will be allocated for the 2018-19 funding round. An additional $1.15 million may be available under the Australian Government funded Prepared Communities Fund (PCF) for eligible projects submitted in the first round of the QDRF.

Eligible applicants include:
- Local government bodies constituted under the Local Government Act 2009 or the City of Brisbane Act 2010
- Regional Organisations of Councils
- Regional Natural Resource Management (NRM) bodies
- River Improvement Trusts
- Queensland Government departments and agencies
- incorporated non-government organisations (including volunteer groups)
- Queensland-based not-for-profit organisations

Collaborative projects are encouraged and may be lodged as a joint application between eligible applicants. An eligible applicant may also submit a joint application made with an ineligible applicant. Joint applications require one applicant to nominate as the lead applicant.

The lead applicant must be an eligible applicant, and will be responsible for the project from lodgement through delivery, reporting and acquittal.

Eligible projects include:
- Infrastructure projects that improve resilience and functionality of at-risk infrastructure or communities.
- Non-infrastructure projects aimed at improving Queensland communities' disaster risk understanding, preparedness, resilience, response and recovery.

Please refer to the Guidelines for the complete list of eligible projects and costs.

The main assessment criteria include:
- Alignment to the Queensland Strategy for Disaster Resilience
- Issue identification
- Financial soundness and value for money
- Evidence based
- Community benefits
- Other considerations

Please refer to the Guidelines for the complete list of the assessment criteria.

The following are ineligible for funding:
- Projects that have already commenced or are already complete.
- Purchase of an asset or works to an asset that will not be owned and/or controlled by an eligible applicant
- Purchase of land or buildings (e.g. land buy-back schemes).
- Works constructed on land that is not owned or controlled by an eligible applicant, except where it has permission to construct on government-owned land and where the applicant has demonstrated that it has tenure over the land. (Note: the applicant must demonstrate it has tenure over the land)
- Projects of a commercial nature for the applicant or any partner applicant.

Please refer to the Guidelines for the complete list of restrictions.