Disaster recovery assistance has been extended to a further five local government areas following the severe storms and floods in New South Wales that occurred during March. These communities suffered significant damage as a direct result of heavy rainfall and strong winds and we will stand with them in their recovery and essential repairs.
The additional local government areas include: Coonamble, Greater Hume, Hunters Hill, Muswellbrook and Narromine.
Assistance is now being provided to 78 local government areas in NSW through the jointly funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).
Minister for Emergency Management, Senator the Hon Bridget McKenzie, said the floods and storms caused widespread damage across the impacted areas and communities. Our Government stands by Australians in their time of need.
“Through the DRFA, a range of practical assistance measures are now available to help people get back on their feet and help councils get on with the clean-up and repairs to infrastructure.”
New South Wales Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott said recovery efforts were continuing in many communities across the State.
“The assistance being announced today will support communities as they continue recovery efforts, including ensuring primary producers and small businesses in these areas are able to access additional assistance” Minister Elliott said.
Assistance available under the DRFA may include:
- help for eligible people whose homes or belongings have been damaged
- support for affected local councils to help with the costs of cleaning up and restoring damaged essential public assets
- concessional interest rate loans for small businesses, primary producers and non-profit organisations
- freight subsidies for primary producers, and
- grants to eligible non-profit organisations
The local government areas announced today are in addition to the 73 local government areas previously announced: Armidale, Ballina, Bathurst, Bega Valley, Bellingen, Blacktown, Blue Mountains, Bogan, Brewarrina, Byron, Cabonne, Camden, Campbelltown, Canterbury Bankstown, Central Coast, Central Darling, Cessnock, Clarence Valley, Cobar, Coffs Harbour, Cumberland, Dungog, Eurobodalla, Fairfield, Georges River, Gilgandra, Glen Innes Severn, Goulburn Mulwaree, Gunnedah, Gwydir, Hawkesbury, Hornsby, Inner West, Inverell, Kempsey, Ku-ring-gai, Kyogle, Lachlan, Lake Macquarie, Lismore, Lithgow, Liverpool, Liverpool Plains, Maitland, Mid-Coast, Moree Plains, Nambucca Valley, Narrabri, Newcastle, Northern Beaches, Oberon, Parramatta, Penrith, Port Macquarie-Hastings, Port Stephens, Queanbeyan-Palerang, Richmond Valley, Shoalhaven, Singleton, Snowy Monaro, Sutherland, Tamworth, Temora, Tenterfield, The Hills, Tweed, Upper Lachlan, Uralla, Walcha, Walgett, Warren, Wingecarribee and Wollondilly.
For information on personal hardship and distress assistance, contact Service NSW on 13 77 88.
To apply for a concessional loan or grant, contact the NSW Rural Assistance Authority on 1800 678 593 or visit www.raa.nsw.gov.au
Further information on disaster assistance is available on the Liberal Nationals Government Disaster Assist website at www.disasterassist.gov.au and Service NSW at https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/floods.