Extension of recovery assistance for storms and floods in New South Wales

Disaster recovery assistance has been extended to Hilltops, Liverpool, and Wingecarribee Local Government Areas in response to storms and floods that occurred in early August. 

Assistance is being provided through the jointly funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA). 

Minister for Emergency Management David Littleproud said the extreme weather has caused widespread damage to infrastructure that is still being deeply felt across local councils. 

“This weather event caused significant damage to local roads and impacted local communities,” Minister Littleproud said.

“Through the DRFA, a range of practical assistance measures have now been extended to help individuals recover and to assist councils with ongoing clean-up and repairs to infrastructure.” 

New South Wales Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott said the SES received approximately 200 Requests for Assistance in the LGAs of Hilltops, Liverpool and Wingecarribee. “

These communities experienced significant disruption due to the weather conditions, including localised flooding,” Minister Elliott said. 

“The assistance being announced today will help cover the costs associated with the operational response and repairing damaged essential public assets, such as roads.”

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 

For information on personal hardship and distress assistance, contact the Disaster Welfare Assistance Line on 1800 018 444.

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 the NSW emergency information and response website at
www.emergency.nsw.gov.au

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