Disaster assistance is now available for communities in Aurukun Shire Council and Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council following the devastating flooding in Queensland.
Minister for Emergency Management and North Queensland Recovery Senator the Hon. Linda Reynolds CSC and Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Minister Craig Crawford said assistance was being provided through the jointly funded Commonwealth-Queensland Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).
Minister Reynolds said the extent of damage caused by the floods continued to be realised more than a month after they had hit.
"The monsoonal trough and associated rainfall caused destruction from the very northern tip of Queensland, all the way to the South Australian border," Minister Reynolds said.
"As the impacts of these floods expand, all levels of government continue to work together to ensure the focus remains on the rebuilding and reconstruction required to get Queenslanders back on their feet.
"Through the DRFA, these local government areas can now access assistance to help alleviate operational costs and assist with the cost of clean-up and repairs."
Mr Crawford said the addition of Aurukun Shire Council and Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council brought the number of councils activated for assistance for this event to 39.
"The impacts across North Queensland and Far North Queensland have been wide reaching, which is why we are standing with Queenslanders as they plan their long road to recovery," he said.
"I am pleased that assistance is now available across these remote local government areas to help communities recover.
"The Palaszczuk Government will continue to work with the Commonwealth to provide affected communities with the help they need."
A range of DRFA assistance is now available in 39 local government areas in Queensland: Aurukun, Barcoo, Boulia, Burdekin, Burke, Cairns, Carpentaria, Cassowary Coast, Charters Towers, Cloncurry, Cook, Croydon, Diamantina, Douglas, Etheridge, Flinders, Hinchinbrook, Hope Vale, Kowanyama, Lockhart River, Longreach, Mackay, Mapoon, Mareeba, McKinlay, Mornington, Mount Isa, Napranum, Northern Peninsula, Palm Island, Pormpuraaw, Richmond, Torres Strait Island, Torres Shire, Townsville, Whitsunday, Winton, Wujal Wujal and Yarrabah.
Information on disaster assistance can be found on the Australian Government's Disaster Assist website at www.disasterassist.gov.au and the Queensland Government's Disaster Management website at www.disaster.qld.gov.au.
