Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Minister for Tourism) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Hutchins for raising a very serious issue. Firstly, I offer our sympathies and support to the many thousands who have been affected by the massive and widespread destruction that has occurred throughout Australia and particularly Queensland. Small business people and farmers deserve our support, both as fellow Australians and as part of our national economy.

There are well-established procedures and there is well-established assistance available. Indeed my colleague Senator Ludwig touched on the joint state and Commonwealth assistance arrangements under the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements in disaster declared local government areas. Under these arrangements, eligible small businesses and primary producers can access recovery grants and concessional loans. For flood-affected small businesses in Queensland, Tasmania and Western Australia, the grants can be up to $25,000. In New South Wales, they are up to $15,000. In Queensland, concessional loans of up to $250,000 are available. In Victoria, the loans are up to $200,000 and they are up to $130,000 in New South Wales. In Western Australia, interest rate subsidies for primary producers and small businesses are also available. There are some variations from state to state concerning the levels of assistance and the types of assistance that are made available.

I also inform the Senate that the Australian Taxation Office has itself introduced some support measures to ease the load on small businesses and the farming community while they recover—for example, by deferring the December monthly activity statements by one month, until 21 February, for all Queensland and affected Northern New South Wales and Victorian areas and, as another example, in helping with the management of existing debt by allowing additional time—(Time expired)