4 March 2026

Welcome to the February 2026 edition of the Rural Financial Counselling Service (RFCS) Southern Queensland newsletter.

In this edition:

Message from CEO

The festive season now feels like such a distant memory that ‘Happy New Year’ no longer feels at all relevant. However, I hope that everyone had the opportunity to embrace the festive season and recharge with friends and family.

Since the start of December, we have seen dramatic swings in the weather patterns across Queensland with both damaging and beneficial rain throughout Central and Northern Queensland, whilst the Southern half of the state has largely been dry throughout January 2026. With the recent heatwave conditions, there has been some storm activity however, a larger and more consistent rain system would be welcome.

The shining light over recent months has undoubtably been strong livestock commodity prices which have assisted those producers who have experienced a summer rainfall deficiency thus far and had to make the decision to reduce numbers. With the RBA making the decision last week to increase the cash rate for the first time in 2 years, from 3.60% to 3.85%, I am hopeful that current commodity prices shall continue to assist in meeting cash flow requirements.

Over the past 2 months, we have also seen the welcome re-launch of the Queensland Government Drought Preparedness Grant program, administered via the Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority (QRIDA). This co-contribution grant assists producers with the costs of permanent infrastructure that improves drought resilience. Should you, or someone you know, need assistance to develop a Farm Business Resilience Plan, our team of Farm Business Planning Officers are available to assist.

Lastly, significant ambiguity has emerged over recent months due to the changes to the Federal Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), the impacts on agriculture still yet to be fully understood. All landholders are encouraged to read and consider what these changes mean for their business with further information about the EPBC Act available here.

Drought Preparedness Grants now open

Primary producers looking to prepare for future droughts can now apply for a Drought Preparedness Grant.

These grants cover 25% of the cost of purchasing, upgrading or installing permanent capital infrastructure, up to a maximum of $50,000, to support drought preparedness activities.

Eligible activities include:

water infrastructure such as pipes, tanks, troughs, new dam construction, drilling a new working bore and pumps
storage, mixing, and feeding out equipment for grain, fodder, molasses and other supplements
reasonable freight costs for purchasing and installing equipment or infrastructure consumables, including fuel for own machinery used in the project
contractor or non-salaried employee costs directly related to implementing the drought preparedness project.

To apply, producers must have a Farm Business Resilience (FBR) Plan or equivalent. Many producers may have already created or updated their FBR Plan by participating in the Farm Business Resilience Program.

If you would like support with developing or updating your FBR Plan, get in touch with the Farm Business Planning Team from Rural Solutions Queensland.

For more information about the grant, visit the QRIDA website.

Disaster recovery support for primary producers

If you are a primary producer in the Central Highlands local government area and were impacted by the North Queensland Monsoon Trough, Associated Tropical Cyclone Koji and Severe Weather event commencing 24 December 2025, support is available to help you navigate the recovery process.

Your local Rural Financial Counsellor, can assist with:

immediate help to identify and access available funding
support to develop your recovery plan
longer term assistance to increase farm business resilience.

Primary producers in eligible local government areas can now access concessional loans through QRIDA and Business Queensland to help re-establish normal operations:

disaster assistance loans of up to $250,000
essential working capital loans of up to $100,000
freight subsides of up to $5,000

Primary producers are also encouraged to complete the Department of Primary Industries Disaster impact survey for primary producers to list the impacts on your operation.

For free, impartial and confidential assistance with recovery, contact your local Rural Financial Counsellor.

LPA audit – are you prepared?

If you are LPA accredited (Livestock Production Assurance) you may be audited at random. If selected, you will receive an LPA Audit Notification Pack with a checklist to assist you in preparing.

During an audit, an auditor will inspect facilities, review records and check management systems for food safety, biosecurity, animal welfare and risk management.

Preparation is key to avoid any non-conformance. Should any non-conformance be found, these will need to be addressed promptly. Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) has resources available to assist.

For any producer undergoing an audit, resources are available via the Integrity Systems Company (ISC) website.

For more information on LPA audits, visit:

LPA Farm Record Keeping Booklet

Video: What to expect from an LPA audit

Who is audited and what does it involve

LPA audit checklist

How to respond to a Corrective Action Request (CAR)

Changes to federal land clearing law

On 28 November 2025, the Australian Government’s Environment Protection Reform Bills were passed by the Australian Parliament and amended the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). These reforms may affect Australian landowners and how they clear and manage their land.

Land managers will no longer be able to claim an exemption to clear land that:

hasn’t been cleared in the last 15 years. Forestry operations remain exempt.
is within 50 meters of a watercourse, wetland or drainage line in the Great Barrier Reef catchment area.

If you plan on clearing vegetation in these circumstances, you may need to refer the action for federal assessment under the EPBC Act.

Community Bee Innovation Fund

Round 3 of the Community Bee Innovation Fund is now open. Grants of $5,000 to $50,000 are available to help Queensland beekeepers and pollination-reliant industries prepare for and manage varroa mite.

Funding can support:

innovative education and training programs
new tools or techniques for managing varroa mite.

Applications close 5pm, 2 March 2026.

Apply Here

Disaster assistance grants closing soon

The closing dates for a number of disaster assistance grants are fast approaching. Applications close 2 April 2026 for the following grants:

If you are planning to apply for a grant and need assistance, you can get in touch with your local Rural Financial Counsellor for support.

ABARES Farm Data Portal

The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) Farm Data Portal is an interactive tool displaying data and outputs from ABARES surveys and analysis from ABARES research.

With the ability to build your own report by personalising selections such as location, industry and selected variables the ABARES Farm Data Portal provides historical survey data, financial forecasts, agricultural productivity estimates and national farm data.

RFCS Southern Queensland Newsletter