Forty local government areas now subject to natural disaster declarations

Department of Home Affairs

​Joint media release with ​​the Hon Steph Cooke, New South Wales Minister for Emergency Services and Resi​lience and Minister for Flood Recovery​​

Jointly funded Commonwealth-State disaster assistance is now available in three additional local government areas (LGAs) following the June-July severe weather and flooding across New South Wales.

Assistance has been extended to the LGAs of Narromine, Oberon and Strathfield.

The total number of disaster-declared LGAs for the weather event that started on 27 June 2022 is now 40.

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

Federal Minister for Emergency Management, Senator the Hon Murray Watt, said the severe weather and flooding had impacted many areas of New South Wales and the focus is on recovery and supporting local communities.

“Now that we are through the worst of the weather event, we need to make sure we continue to deliver support where it’s needed,” Minister Watt said.

“That includes making sure areas that were impacted are eligible for the support on offer from the New South Wales and Federal governments.”

New South Wales Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience and Minister for Flood Recovery Steph Cooke said significant support is available to help communities through the recovery process.

“The scale of this flooding is immense and New South Wales is working closely with the Commonwealth Government to put additional funding and resources into the ongoing clean-up and recovery,” Ms Cooke said.

Assistance available under the DRFA may include:

  • Help for eligible people whose homes or belongings have been damaged (eligibility criteria apply);
  • 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; and
  • Freight subsidies for primary producers.

The 40 disaster-declared LGAs are: Bayside, Blacktown, Blue Mountains, Camden, Canterbury Bankstown, Campbelltown, Central Coast, Cessnock, Cumberland, Dungog, Fairfield, Georges River, Hawkesbury, Hornsby, Kiama, Lake Macquarie, Lithgow, Liverpool, Maitland, Mid Coast, Muswellbrook, Nambucca, Narromine, Newcastle, Northern Beaches, Oberon, Penrith, Port Stephens, Randwick, Shellharbour, Shoalhaven, Singleton, Strathfield, Sutherland, The Hills, Upper Lachlan, Warren, Wingecarribee, Wollondilly and Wollongong.

For information relating to financial assistance, replacing lost documents, location of your nearest Recovery Centre and more, please contact Service NSW on 13 77 88 or visit www.nsw.gov.au/floods.

To apply for a concessional loan, contact the NSW Rural Assistance Authority on 1800 678 593 or visit www.raa.nsw.gov.au.

Further information on disaster assistance can be found on the National Recovery and Resilience Agency’s website at www.recovery.gov.au.

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