Joint media release with the Hon Gerald Maley MP
The Albanese and Finocchiaro Governments have activated disaster assistance for Victoria Daly regional communities in the Northern Territory following flooding caused by widespread rainfall from a slow-moving weather system.
As river levels rose towards an expected major flood level, residents from Daly River were evacuated to the Foskey Pavilion Evacuation Centre in Darwin on Wednesday 4 February 2026 to ensure community safety.
The assistance is jointly funded by the Albanese and Finocchiaro Governments under Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).
It includes personal hardship and distress payments to support immediate relief, temporary accommodation and re-establishment, as well as assistance to support counter-disaster operations and the restoration and reconstruction of essential public assets.
Residents are eligible for payments of $611.00 per adult and $309 per child, capped at $1,537 per family.
Payments will be transferred in increments, with $152.75 for adults, $77.25 for children and up to $384.25 for families made available initially. The remaining will be made available once residents are able to return to their community and floodwaters have receded.
Further assistance is available to support territory agencies and local governments responding to and recovering from the event.
Federal Minister for Emergency Management Kristy McBain said both levels of government were working to support affected communities.
"We want to ensure disaster assistance is available quickly and reaches communities when they need it most," Minister McBain said.
"These arrangements support both immediate relief and longer-term recovery, and we will continue to monitor conditions and adjust assistance as required."
Acting Chief Minister of the Northern Territory Gerard Maley said the flooding had caused significant disruption for residents from Daly River.
"We acted early to evacuate residents to keep people safe," Mr Maley said.
"That early action helped protect lives, and I want to thank the community for their resilience, cooperation and patience during a challenging time.
"We are very grateful there has been no loss of life or serious injury, and I thank the Australian Government for working closely with us to ensure financial support is available to help people recover and rebuild."
Information on disaster assistance and eligibility is available at Disaster Assist and SecureNT.
