South Australians get aid after River Murray floods

South Australians impacted by the River Murray floods will get more clean up help, with extra support rolled out to dispose of flood-damaged material.

Property owners with flood-affected material and debris will be provided with five free vouchers for drop-offs to any of the 11 transfer stations in the River Murray region, which are listed below.

The program is jointly funded by the Albanese and Malinauskas Governments as part of a $60 million waste management program under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.

The funding will help local government to extend transfer station opening hours, put on more staff, and cover the costs of recycling, where possible, and landfill.

This is the first step towards helping the community get back to business as usual, but it's still a long way to go to clean-up and recover. Once the waters have fully receded and roads are accessible for heavy vehicles, the clean-up effort will become more visible.

Vouchers can be picked up from the landfill sites with your client ID. You do not need a voucher for your first visit – you can visit any of the 11 sites and just quote your client ID.

If you've previously registered for any flood relief or financial assistance, you'll have been given a client ID. If you don't know your client ID or you haven't yet registered, call 1800 302 787.

After your first visit, you will then be issued with four physical vouchers that you will need to present to council staff on each future visit to a transfer station.

Quotes

Attributable to Federal Minister for Emergency Management, Senator Murray Watt:

The Albanese Government recognises the scale of the impact of what is the largest and most expensive disaster South Australia has experienced.

Through some of the worst flooding South Australia has ever seen, the people of the River Murray region have shown tremendous grit and resilience.

We understand that recovery continues long after the flood waters recede, and we will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Malinauskas Government in rolling out support for as long as communities need.

Attributable to South Australian Premier, Peter Malinauskas MP:

More than $120 million in joint funding has been provided so far to support community recovery and represents the largest amount spent on a single disaster event in South Australia.

The clean-up effort will gather momentum once the waters have fully receded and roads become more accessible to heavy vehicles to come in and assist flood-affected residents, property owners and businesses.

I ask people in affected communities to please remain patient because we have a long way to go, and a lot of recovery work to do now as we move on with the clean-up phase. I also urge people to support one another and to stay safe.

Details of the program

More than 1,000 people have registered for assistance so far, and many of those are now in a position where they need to dispose of flood-affected material – these vouchers will help them do so, at no personal cost. If you haven't registered for assistance or you don't know your client ID, call 1800 302 787 to check, as a client ID is essential to access the free service.

Ute and trailer sized drop offs with any flood-damaged building material, including wood, metal, masonry, carpet, e-waste and furniture will be accepted.

Asbestos will not be accepted. There can be considerable hazards for people who have asbestos, in their property. If you're not sure, please contact us on 1800 302 787 and an assessor will come and confirm and organise free removal.

There are also risks from black mould, and anyone handling items like carpet, insulation and gyprock needs to be very careful and use proper protective equipment.

Small numbers of sandbags can be dropped off (20 or less); for larger amounts of sandbags, Green Industries SA will organise to collect these from your property at no cost.

Please do not place waste and debris on your kerb or road until you have had an assessment and have been approved to do so. Any waste or debris you've placed on your kerbside should be taken to a transfer station using a voucher.

The 11 transfer stations are:

*Blanchetown Transfer Station

3814 Murraylands Road, Blanchetown

SAT 2pm–5pm

*Bowhill Transfer Station

7556 Hunter Road, Bowhill

SUN 2:30pm–5pm

*Cadell Transfer Station

524 Mackintosh Road, Cadel

SUN 2pm–4:30pm

*Mannum Transfer Station

96 Belvedere Road, Mannum

SAT 8am-12pm, SUN 8am–11:30am

*Morgan Transfer Station

157 Murraylands Road, Morgan

SUN 10am–1:00pm

*Swan Reach Transfer Station

2695 Hunter Road, Swan Reach

SAT 1:30pm–4:30pm

*Walker Flat Transfer Station

4756 Angas Valley Road, Walker Flat

SAT 9:30am–1pm

*Berri Barmera: Riverland Resource Recovery Facility

92 Hoskin Road, Berri

MON-FRI. 8am–4pm, SAT 8am–12pm

*Loxton Waste Transfer Station

360 Mackey Road, Loxton

SAT 9am–12pm, SUN 1pm–4pm

*Murray Bridge / Brinkley

27 Brinkley Road, Brinkley

MON-FRI 8am–4pm SAT 10am–3pm

*Waikerie Waste Transfer Station

264 Maggea Road, Waikerie

SAT 1pm–4pm, SUN 1pm–4pm

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