11 June 2026
The Queensland Farmers’ Federation and its peak body members have labelled the Federal Government’s proposed changes to Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) as unacceptable, raising concerns that these moves will put Queensland, Australia’s most disaster impacted state, on a pathway to less Federal support for recovery.
Under the current Disaster Recovery Framework Arrangements, the funding split between the Commonwealth and the Queensland government is 65/35. The proposed changes would see this split move to 50/50 and reflect the Federal Government’s move away from supporting disaster recovery efforts in Queensland – including the recent decision not to support restocking for flood affected producers in the state’s north and the withdrawal of funding support for Disaster Relief Australia.
QFF CEO Jo Sheppard said Queenslanders will be worse off under the proposed changes that significantly impact the capacity of communities to recover from natural disasters.
“Queensland is Australia’s most disaster impacted state experiencing approximately 60% of the nation’s natural disaster events and bearing a disproportionate share of the associated costs,” Ms Sheppard said.
“This new framework will not deliver a fair or sustainable outcome for Queensland but will rather leave farmers and communities without the support they need to recover, stripping away vital assistance at the very moment Queenslanders are most vulnerable.”
Queensland Fruit & Vegetable Growers CEO Scott Kompo-Harms said governments must ensure proposed disaster recovery funding changes do not reduce support for growers and regional communities.
“Beyond funding certainty, both levels of government must recognise the ever-growing challenges growers face during natural disasters and work directly with industry to strengthen, not reduce, support arrangements. That should include options such as payroll tax relief and other measures that genuinely improve access to support when disasters hit.”
Cotton Australia General Manager Michael Murray said that these changes will hurt Queensland farmers and regional communities and that the current funding split should therefore be maintained.
“It is an unfortunate fact of geography and climate that Queensland suffers more disaster impact than any other State, but the current support system that is provided by Government to farmers and small businesses without a doubt allows our regional communities to bounce back quicker,” Mr Murray said.
CANEGROWERS CEO Dan Galligan said the Federal Government must ensure any new disaster recovery model does not leave Queensland growers carrying a greater share of the recovery burden.
“Equal application does not always mean equal impact,” Mr Galligan said.
“A 50-50 funding model may appear even-handed on paper, but if it reduces the level of support available to Queensland, it will place greater pressure on the farmers, businesses and regional communities most often called on to recover from natural disasters. Queensland growers do not expect special treatment, but they do expect disaster recovery arrangements that recognise the scale and frequency of the events they face.”
On the back of consecutive disaster seasons, which impacted 74 of Queensland’s 77 council regions in 2026, these proposed changes could not come at a worse time.
Dismayed farmers, councils and communities are now calling on the Federal government to assure Queenslanders that they will not reduce their contribution to disaster assistance programs and that the current levels of support will be maintained under any revised funding arrangements.
Media contact:
Jak Kirwin
General Manager, Marketing and Communications, QFF
E: comms@qff.org.au
M: 0488 305 106