Hardship assistance declarations and notices for state land tenures
This information is for holders of state land tenures under the Land Act 1994.
If you are a residential renter seeking information about private, public or community housing, refer to the Homes and housing website.
As the result of a natural disaster or adverse economic conditions, an area of land or certain tenures can be declared a hardship area under the Land Regulation 2020.
A deferral of land rent or instalments then applies for a specific period of time.
Current declarations or notices
In accordance with section 56 of the Land Regulation 2020, the following areas or affected tenures in that area which have been severely affected by a natural disaster or adverse economic conditions, are declared as a hardship area:
- the affected tenures:
- all tenures defined under section 24 of the Land Regulation 2020 (being rental category 11.1 and rental category 11.2 primary production tenures)
- all tenures defined under section 25 of the Land Regulation 2020 (being rental category 12.1 residential tenures) excludes Boulia and Diamantina Shire Council areas.
- all tenures defined under section 26 of the Land Regulation 2020 (being rental category 13 business and government core business tenures)
- all tenures defined under section 27 of the Land Regulation 2020 (being rental category 14.1 charities and small sporting or recreational clubs tenures)
- in the local government areas of:
- Barcoo Shire Council
- Bulloo Shire Council
- Boulia Shire Council
- Diamantina Shire Council
- Longreach Regional Council
- Murweh Shire Council
- Paroo Shire Council
- Quilpie Shire Council
- Winton Shire Council
The payment of all rent that, but for this declaration, would have been payable by the holder of each affected tenure, is deferred.
The payment of the rent is deferred from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026 and must be paid on or before 31 March 2026.
In accordance with section 59 of the Land Regulation 2020, penalty interest does not accrue on the deferred rent until the day after the 31 March 2026.
This hardship deferral declaration takes effect from 1 April 2025 and continues to take effect until it expires.
In accordance with section 56 of the Land Regulation 2020, the following areas or affected tenures in that area which have been severely affected by a natural disaster or adverse economic conditions, are declared as a hardship area:
- the affected tenures:
- all tenures defined under section 24 of the Land Regulation 2020 (being rental category 11.1 and 11.2 primary production tenures)
- all tenures defined under section 25 of the Land Regulation 2020 (being rental category 12.1 residential tenures) (excludes Balonne Shire Council and Blackall-Tambo Regional Council)
- in the local government areas of:
- Balonne Shire Council
- Barcaldine Regional Council
- Blackall-Tambo Regional Council
The payment of all rent that, but for this declaration, would have been payable by the holder of each affected tenure, is deferred.
The payment of the rent is deferred from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026 and must be paid on or before 31 March 2026.
In accordance with section 59 of the Land Regulation 2020, penalty interest does not accrue on the deferred rent until the day after the 31 March 2026.
This hardship deferral declaration takes effect from 1 April 2025 and continues to take effect until it expires.
In accordance with section 56 of the Land Regulation 2020, the following areas or affected tenures in that area which have been severely affected by a natural disaster or adverse economic conditions, are declared as a hardship area:
- the affected tenures:
All tenures defined under section 24 of the Land Regulation 2020 (being rental category 11.1 and 11.2 primary production tenures).
- In the local government areas of:
- Carpentaria Shire Council
- Cloncurry Shire Council
- Croydon Shire Council
- Flinders Shire Council
- McKinlay Shire Council
- Richmond Shire Council
- Winton Shire Council
All tenures defined under section 25 of the Land Regulation 2020 (being rental category 12.1 residential tenures).
- In the local government areas of:
- Flinders Shire Council
- Richmond Shire Council
- Winton Shire Council
The payment of all rent that, but for this declaration, would have been payable by the holder of each affected tenure, is deferred.
The payment of the rent due in the 12 month period between 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2026 will be deferred and must be paid on or before 31 March 2027.
In accordance with section 59 of the Land Regulation 2020, penalty interest does not accrue on the deferred rent until the day after the 31 March 2027.
This hardship deferral declaration takes effect from 1 January 2026 and continues to take effect until it expires.
In accordance with section 56 of the Land Regulation 2020, the following areas or affected tenures in that area which have been severely affected by a natural disaster or adverse economic conditions, are declared as a hardship area:
- the affected tenures:
All tenures defined under section 25 of the Land Regulation 2020 (being rental category 12.1 residential tenures).
- In the local government areas of:
- Carpentaria Shire Council
- Cassowary Coast Regional Council (eligible defined areas of Flying Fish Point and Mourilyan)
- Isaac Regional Council (eligible defined area of Clermont)
- McKinlay Shire Council
- Mackay Regional Council (eligible defined areas of Broken River, Crediton, Dalrymple Heights and Eungella)
All tenures defined under section 26 of the Land Regulation 2020 (being rental category 13 business and government core business tenures).
- In the local government areas of:
- Aurukun Shire Council
- Burdekin Shire Council
- Burke Shire Council
- Carpentaria Shire Council
- Cassowary Coast Regional Council
- Cloncurry Shire Council
- Croydon Shire Council
- Flinders Shire Council
- Isaac Regional Council
- Mackay Regional Council
- McKinlay Shire Council
- Mount Isa City Council
- Palm Island Aboriginal Shire Council
- Pormpuraaw Aboriginal Shire Council
- Richmond Shire Council
- Townsville City Council
- Whitsunday Regional Council
- Winton Shire Council
- Yarrabah Aboriginal Shire Council
The payment of all rent that, but for this declaration, would have been payable by the holder of each affected tenure, is deferred.
The payment of the rent due in the 12-month period from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2026 will be deferred and must be paid on or before 31 March 2027.
In accordance with section 59 of the Land Regulation 2020, penalty interest does not accrue on the deferred rent until the day after 31 March 2027.
This hardship deferral declaration takes effect from 1 January 2026 and continues to take effect until it expires.
In accordance with section 56 of the Land Regulation 2020, the following areas or affected tenures in that area which have been severely affected by a natural disaster or adverse economic conditions, are declared as a hardship area:
- the affected tenures:
All tenures defined under section 24 of the Land Regulation 2020 (being rental category 11.1 and 11.2 primary production tenures).
- In the local government areas of:
- Barcaldine Regional Council
- Cassowary Coast Regional Council
- Central Highlands Regional Council
- Etheridge Shire Council
- Isaac Regional Council
- Livingston Shire Council
- Mackay Regional Council
- Whitsunday Regional Council
All tenures defined under section 25 of the Land Regulation 2020 (being rental category 12.1 residential tenures).
- In the local government areas of:
- Etheridge Shire Council
- Livingston Shire Council
All tenures defined under section 26 of the Land Regulation 2020 (being rental category 13 business and government core business tenures).
- In the local government areas of:
- Etheridge Shire Council
The payment of all rent that, but for this declaration, would have been payable by the holder of each affected tenure, is deferred.
The payment of the rent due in the 12-month period from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2026 will be deferred and must be paid on or before 31 March 2027.
In accordance with section 59 of the Land Regulation 2020, penalty interest does not accrue on the deferred rent until the day after 31 March 2027.
This hardship deferral declaration takes effect from 1 January 2026 and continues to take effect until it expires.
In accordance with section 56 of the Land Regulation 2020, the following areas or affected tenures in that area which have been severely affected by a natural disaster, or adverse economic conditions are declared as a hardship area:
All tenures defined under section 24 of the Land Regulation 2020 (being rental categories 11.1 and 11.2 primary production tenures).
- In the local government areas of:
- Boulia Shire Council
- Bundaberg Regional Council
- Diamantina Shire Council
- Fraser Coast Regional Council
- Gympie Regional Council
- North Burnett Regional Council
- South Burnett Regional Council
All tenures defined under section 25 of the Land Regulation 2020 (being rental categories 12.1 and 12.2 residential tenures).
- In the local government areas of:
- Banana Shire Council
- Barcaldine Regional Council (eligible defined areas: Alpha, Aramac, Jericho, Muttaburra and targeted addresses: Barcaldine Downs Road, Plumbtree Hill Road)
- Bundaberg Regional Council (eligible defined areas: Avoca, Avondale, Branyan, Bucca, Bundaberg Central, Bundaberg East, Bundaberg North, Bundaberg South, Bundaberg West, Bungadoo, Delan, Drinan, Duingal, Givelda, Good Night, Moore Park Beach, Morganville, Pine Creek, Sharon, South Kolan, Wallaville)
- Doomadgee Aboriginal Shire Council
- Douglas Shire Council (eligible defined areas: Bloomfield (Douglas Shire only), Cape Tribulation, Cow Bay, Dagmar, Daintree, Daintree Village, Degarra, Diwan, Forest Creek, Kimberley, Lower Daintree, Noah, Stewart Creek Valley, Thornton Beach, Upper Daintree)
- Gladstone Regional Council (eligible defined areas: Agnes Water, Baffle Creek, Boyne Valley, Captain Creek, Colosseum, Deepwater, Euleilah, Lowmead, Mount Maria, Mount Tom, Oyster Creek, Rosedale, Rules Beach, Taunton, Turkey Beach.)
- North Burnett Regional Council
- Western Downs Regional Council (targeted addresses in Chinchilla)
All tenures defined under section 26 of the Land Regulation 2020 (being rental category 13 business and government core business tenures).
- In the local government areas of:
- Bundaberg Regional Council
- Douglas Shire Council
- Gladstone Regional Council
- Western Downs Regional Council
All tenures defined under section 27 and 28 of the Land Regulation 2020 (being rental categories 14.1 and 14.2 (charitable/recreation not for profits tenures).
- In the local government areas of:
- Banana Shire Council
- Bundaberg Regional Council
- Carpentaria Coast Regional Council
- Cassowary Coast Regional Council
- Central Highlands Regional Council
- Charters Towers Regional Council
- Doomadgee Aboriginal Shire Council
- Douglas Shire Council
- Etheridge Shire Council
- Flinders Shire Council
- Isaac Regional Council
- Livingstone Shire Council
- Mackay Regional Council
- McKinlay Regional Council
- Richmond Shire Council
- Rockhampton Regional Council
- Townsville City Council
- Western Downs Regional Council
- Whitsunday Regional Council
- Winton Shire Council
The payment of all rent that, but for this declaration, would have been payable by the holder of each affected tenure, is deferred.
The payment of the rent due in the period between 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027 will be deferred and must be paid on or before 1 June 2027.
In accordance with section 59 of the Land Regulation 2020, penalty interest does not accrue on the deferred rent until the day after the 1 June 2027.
This hardship deferral declaration takes effect from 1 April 2026 and continues to take effect until it expires.
Current notices under the Land Regulation 2020.