Darling Downs Drought Relief Amendment Bill 2026 revises Toowoomba region water access rules

The Darling Downs Drought Relief Amendment Bill 2026 changes eligibility criteria and payment amounts under the Queensland Drought Relief Program for properties in the Condamine-Balonne catchment. The legislation applies to the 4,800 farming enterprises and 2,300 rural residential properties within the Toowoomba Regional Council and Western Downs Regional Council boundaries.

The changes come as the state government prepares its 2026-27 budget amid ongoing dry conditions recorded by the Bureau of Meteorology across the Darling Downs since March 2025. The bill updates the 2023 Drought Relief Framework to align with revised Murray-Darling Basin Authority water accounting rules that take effect on 1 August 2026.

Direct effects on local water use and payments

Under the bill, eligible Toowoomba-area irrigators can carry over an additional 15 per cent of unused water allocations from one water year to the next, up from the current 10 per cent limit. The measure also raises the maximum drought relief payment from $75,000 to $92,000 per property for those meeting the new 12-month rainfall threshold of less than 400 millimetres. Local advocates note that these adjustments will affect decisions on planting winter crops and livestock feed purchases in the next six months.

Households connected to the Toowoomba bulk water supply scheme face no immediate change to urban water restrictions, but the legislation requires the Toowoomba Regional Council to report quarterly on rural bores that draw from the same aquifer system. The Productivity Commission has found similar carryover reforms in other basins increased on-farm water trading volumes by 22 per cent within two years.

Implementation timeline and next steps

The bill received royal assent on 8 July 2026 and the first payments under the revised rates are scheduled for September 2026. The Department of Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water will hold information sessions in Toowoomba and Dalby during August to explain application forms and the updated rainfall data sources. Property owners must submit new eligibility declarations by 31 August to receive the increased carryover for the 2026-27 water year.