Individually Droughted Property declarations

You do not need an Individually Droughted Property (IDP) declaration to access the drought assistance program.

Other government departments or councils may offer their own assistance measures which require an IDP to access.

Who is eligible

IDP declarations are available to all eligible primary producers.

Eligibility is based on:

  • the property being affected by a 1 in 10 to 15 year rainfall deficiency for the previous 12 months
  • pasture availability and water availability on the property indicating drought conditions
  • stocking rates for the property being acceptable for the type and class of land
  • the property having taken positive steps to respond to the drought (e.g. stocking rates have been reduced, drought feeding has already commenced)
  • no livestock other than your own is on the property
  • no livestock have been introduced within 16 weeks before the application for IDP is made.

Eligibility is based on:

  • the property being affected by a 1 in 10 to 15 year rainfall deficiency for the previous 12 months
  • you have shown a reasonable level of self-reliance in drought management
  • soil moisture, crop yields (expected yield reductions) and available irrigation water are indicative of drought conditions.

Additional criteria for sugar cane

Plant crop:

  • date of planting
  • presence or absence of subsoil moisture
  • whether the rate of germination is less than 60% (this would require the crop to be ploughed out)
  • whether the proportion of dead plants is greater than 40% of those that germinated (this would require plough-out)
  • the presence or absence of other non-drought-induced pest or disease factors that may affect germination or cause plant death
  • whether rainfall during months critical for plant cane establishment was significantly less than average.

Ratoon crop:

  • date of harvest of previous crop
  • dead stools greater than 40%
  • ratoon crop so backward by mid-December that, even with wet-season rains, they will not recover to produce a viable crop (water-logging of backward crops by wet-season rains could even contribute to crop failure)
  • presence or absence of non drought-induced pests or diseases
  • whether or not rainfall during months critical for ratoon crop development is significantly less than average.

Both crops:

  • assessment of crop potential (per block) versus 5-year average production, using data from mill records and farmer records, and information from cane inspectors.

How to apply

Complete the relevant application form for either:

  • livestock properties
  • agricultural and horticultural properties.

You can attach additional information to illustrate the impact of the drought on your property (e.g. property rainfall record, photos of water storages, etc).

Once you have completed the form, email it to drought@daf.qld.gov.au.

We will assess your application and approve or decline it based on how well you meet the criteria. We may also inspect your property to confirm conditions and drought management practices.

Applications are usually assessed within 10 working days of being submitted. You will be notified in writing of the outcome.

Length of declaration

IDP declarations are effective from the date of approval. If the assessment of your application is delayed, the declaration may be made effective from the date of application.

Revoking an IDP declaration

An IDP declaration can be revoked:

Before you apply to have your property's drought-declared status revoked, make sure you have enough pasture and water to last a minimum of 12 months at normal or near-normal stocking rates.

Once the status is revoked, your property will not be eligible for a drought declaration for 12 months. After 12 months, your property will need to again meet the eligibility criteria in order to become drought declared.

  • Last reviewed: 18 Jun 2024
  • Last updated: 19 Jun 2024