Rent Relief for Farmers – COVID-19 Assistance and Drought Assistance
Relief for COVID-19
More than 6000 farmers, businesses, tourism operators, community and sports clubs won’t have to pay State Land Rent for 6 months of this year under a series of measures to protect Queensland businesses and jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This is a waiver of more than $33.8 million in State land rent that would otherwise be payable from 1 April to 30 September this year in Queensland.
If you are a holder of a state lease, licence or permit on state land, you may be entitled to a Rent Waiver for the period from 1 April, 2020 up to 30 September, 2020 if your lease, licence or permit is used primarily for Primary Production purposes and you pay more than the minimum rent payable (ie. currently $267.00 per annum).
If you receive rental invoices from the Government quarterly, the Government has waived the payment of these invoices for 1 April and 1 July, 2020.
If you receive the rental invoices annually and you’ve already paid for the 2019-2020 period, that part of the annual rent amount for 1 April to 30 June will be refunded to you (or credited to your account if you request). The annual rent invoice for the 2020-2021 period will be adjusted to remove the rent amount due from 1 July, 2020 to 30 September, 2020. This rent invoice will be sent on 1 November, 2020 and payment due by 1 December, 2020. Your Rent Waiver will only reduce your rent to the minimum rent payable (ie. $267.00 per annum).
You do not need to do anything to receive this rent waiver. The Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy will automatically waive the rent payable by you.
Even if you are not eligible for the Rent Waiver, you may be able to defer your rent payable so that if you receive your rental invoices quarterly, your rent payable for 1 April to 30 June, 2020 will be automatically deferred for payment to 1 September, 2020.
Farmers on pastoral leases will save on average around $3,300.00 under this rent relief package.
Landholders who sub-lease their land where it is used for a primary production or business purpose, should pass on the land rent savings to the tenant.
If you have queries on your State Lease, Licence or Permit, you can contact 1800 841 397 to speak to the Qld Government department or contact your solicitor for further advice.
Relief for Drought Affected Farmers
The above relief is in addition to a 15% rebate of annual rent that is available for landholders of rural leases used for grazing and primary production where the landholder pays more than the minimum rent per annum of $267.00.
This rebate is available to leases in drought declared areas or individually drought affected properties. Mackay is not currently a drought declared area however the Whitsunday and Isaac Regions are partly drought-declared areas.
Landholders who are eligible for the rebate should receive information with their annual or quarterly invoices.
Landholders who are not in a drought declared area but who are affected by drought can make a declaration (called an “Individually Droughted Property Declaration” or “IDP” Declaration) and submit it to the Department for Agriculture and Fisheries. The primary criteria that you will need to satisfy to have your property identified as an ‘individually drought affected property’ is that you have had a rainfall deficiency in the last 12 months that is likely to occur no more than once every 10 years.
A guide explaining the criteria to be able to make the drought declaration and how to apply can be found at: https://www.business.qld.gov.au/industries/farms-fishing-forestry/agriculture/rural-disaster-recovery/drought/declarations-revocations.
For further information on the above, you can contact the Queensland Government by phoning 13 QGOV (13 74 68).
The content of this column is to provide a general guide on this topic. Professional advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.