Disaster recovery assistance has been extended to a further 10 local government areas following the severe storms and floods in New South Wales that occurred during March.
The additional local government areas include: Bogan, Central Darling, Georges River, Goulburn Mulwaree, Snowy Monaro, Tamworth, Temora, Warren, Upper Lachlan and Uralla.
Assistance is now being provided to 73 local government areas in NSW through the jointly funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).
Minister for Emergency Management David Littleproud said the storms and floods have caused significant disruption to local communities.
"Assistance is reaching flood impacted communities following an immediate clean-up and support packages to aid business and primary producers," Minister Littleproud said.
"Through the DRFA, a range of practical assistance measures are now available to help people get back on their feet."
New South Wales Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott said the NSW Government was working closely with communities to support flood recovery efforts.
"Today's announcement of extended flood assistance ensures flood-affected communities are able to access assistance to support households, small businesses, primary producers, not-for-profit organisations and councils," Minister Elliott said.
"The support includes access to ongoing clean-up efforts and the dedicated recovery grants of up to $75,000 for primary producers and up to $50,000 for small businesses."
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 63 local government areas previously announced: Armidale, Ballina, Bathurst, Bega Valley, Bellingen, Blacktown, Blue Mountains, Brewarrina, Byron, Cabonne, Camden, Campbelltown, Canterbury Bankstown, Central Coast, Cessnock, Clarence Valley, Cobar, Coffs Harbour, Cumberland, Dungog, Eurobodalla, Fairfield, Gilgandra, Glen Innes Severn, 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, Sutherland, Tenterfield, The Hills, Tweed, Walcha, Walgett, 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 Australian Government's Disaster Assist website at www.disasterassist.gov.au and Service NSW at https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/floods
