Funding to recover after a natural disaster

Floods, bushfires, cyclones and severe storms can stop a business overnight. Premises are damaged, stock is ruined, equipment fails and customers may not return for weeks. Getting back to trading quickly matters, and funding is one piece of a larger recovery puzzle.

Start with the support that does not need repaying

1. Insurance: lodge claims early, photograph everything and keep receipts.
2. Government assistance: Disaster Assist lists Australian Government support for declared events, and state governments often run grants and concessional loans.
3. Local help: councils, small business commissioners and industry associations often coordinate recovery support.

Our guide to grants vs loans explains how to combine them sensibly.

Where business funding fits

Insurance and grants rarely arrive as fast as the bills. Funding can:

• Bridge the gap until an insurance claim is paid.
• Replace equipment and stock so trading can restart.
• Cover wages to keep skilled staff during the shutdown.
• Fund repairs that are not covered.

Ready to find out? The enquiry form takes about a minute. No credit check, no spray of your details to a dozen lenders, just a call from a real person.

Choosing the right structure

Need	Funding that fits
Bridge to an insurance payout	Short-term loan repaid from the claim
Replacement equipment	Equipment finance
Wages and stock during restart	Working capital loan
Larger rebuild with uncertain timing	Property-secured funding with interest paid up front or capitalised

Property-secured loans can be especially useful during recovery because there may be no repayments while the business rebuilds trading.

Practical tips

• Download bank statements online if paper records were lost.
• Keep a simple log of costs and losses for insurers and lenders.
• Talk to suppliers and the ATO early; many offer extra flexibility after declared disasters.
• Borrow only what the business can repay once trading resumes.

More detail is in our guide to natural disaster recovery funding.

Looking after yourself and your team

Recovery is exhausting. Staff may be dealing with damage to their own homes, and owners often carry the stress of the business and their family at once. Lean on the support around you, including your accountant, industry association and local recovery centres. A sensible funding plan can remove one source of pressure, so the business has room to rebuild at a pace people can manage.

The short version

• Check insurance and government disaster support first
• Funding can bridge the gap while claims are assessed
• Replace equipment and stock to restart trading quickly
• Property-secured loans can defer repayments during recovery

From enquiry to an answer

The process is built to avoid wasted time. The enquiry asks only what matters. The first call gathers what is missing. Statements are shared securely online, documents are signed electronically and any property security is prepared in parallel. Straightforward files can be approved within the hour, and funds can land within 24 hours once everything is signed. More complex files take a little longer, and you will be told why. Where a step is waiting on someone else, such as a co-owner’s signature, we will tell you so it can be chased.

Is funding the right answer here?

Not every cash problem is a funding problem. Sometimes the better fix is a conversation with a supplier, a payment plan with the ATO, chasing an overdue invoice or adjusting prices. Funding earns its place when it solves a timing gap or unlocks an opportunity worth more than its cost. We will tell you honestly which situation you are in.

Getting your details together

A little preparation makes the first conversation far more useful, and it means the person who calls you can talk about options rather than chasing basic details:

• Your ABN and the legal name of the business.
• Online banking access, so recent statements can be shared through a secure read-only link.
• A rough figure for monthly turnover and the amount you need.
• A list of current loans and repayments, including any ATO payment plan.
• If property is involved, the address and roughly what is owed on it.

A quick word on the enquiry form

Every question on the form is there for a reason: it changes which funding fits. Describe the business as it stands today rather than the version you expect in six months. Mention any default, tax debt or recent decline in the notes. We look at those situations all the time, and knowing early lets us head straight for options that can actually work.

Let’s see what fits

If funding could help, let us know the details. Enquiring runs no credit check, your information stays with one team, and a real person will talk you through what fits. Please answer each question honestly and precisely, particularly the amount, turnover and whether you own real estate, so we can match you properly from the start.