Far West Queensland
Exceptional circumstances assistance for the Far West Queensland declared area was recently extended by the Hon. Tony Burke MP, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Assistance has been extended to 15 June 2010.
Agriculture-dependent small business operators who derive 70 per cent of their turnover from agriculture in any EC declared area are also eligible to apply for income support payments and interest rate subsidies.
Note: If your small business: is located in a town that is substantially reliant on farm incomes and has a population of 10,000 or less; and is in an EC area (including prima facie areas); and can demonstrate a significant downturn in income due to the drought, you may be eligible for assistance.
Producers and agriculture-dependent small business operators should not self-assess their eligibility for income support but should call the Drought Assistance Hotline on 13 23 16.
*For more information on interest rate subsidies please contact your state rural assistance authority.
All producers and small business operators should note the following deadlines:
| Applicant | EC Relief Payment expiry | EC Interest Rate Subsidy applications close: |
|---|---|---|
|
Producers |
15 June 2010 |
Year 1: 26 March 2009 |
Area Description
The area includes the shires of Longreach, Winton and Boulia being west of the Thomson Developmental Road between the Longreach Regional Council southern boundary and Longreach town, south of the Landsborough Highway from Longreach to Winton, south of the Kennedy Developmental Road between Winton and Middleton and west of Saville Creek between Winton and the southern McKinlay shire border and south of the 22nd parallel.
A 20km buffer zone applies to Queensland properties along the entire length of the boundary, with the exception of those portions of the Winton Shire Council and Longreach Regional Council which adjoin the Barcoo Shire in the revised South West Queensland EC declared area.
Download the Far West Queensland EC declared area map 
PDF [208kb]
Note: If you are experiencing problems viewing or printing a map, try saving it to your desktop first. To do this right click on the map and select 'Save Target As', 'Save File As' or ‘Save Picture As’. If you are still experiencing problems, ring (02) 6272 4053 or email DAFF PR.