NSW Nationals: Natural disaster assistance extended – NSW Nationals

Jointly funded Commonwealth-State disaster assistance is now available in 42 local government areas (LGAs) following the June-July severe weather and flooding across NSW.

Assistance has now been extended to the LGAs of Kempsey and Port Macquarie Hastings.

NSW Nationals minister for Emergency Services and Resilience and Minister for Flood Recovery Steph Cooke said the recovery effort is well underway in areas including the South Coast, Illawarra, the Central West, the Central Coast, the Hunter and the Mid North Coast.

“The number of LGAs now subject to a natural disaster declaration demonstrates the widespread impact of the recent flood event, stretching from Shoalhaven in the south to Kempsey in the north and west to Lithgow,” Ms Cooke said.

“New South Wales will continue working closely with the Commonwealth to put additional funding and resources into the ongoing recovery effort.”

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

Assistance available under the DRFA may include:

• Help for eligible people whose homes or belongings have been damaged (eligibility criteria apply);
• Support for 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 42 LGAs now subject to natural disaster declarations are: Bayside, Blacktown, Blue Mountains, Camden, Canterbury Bankstown, Campbelltown, Central Coast, Cessnock, Cumberland, Dungog, Fairfield, Georges River, Hawkesbury, Hornsby, Kempsey, Kiama, Lake Macquarie, Lithgow, Liverpool, Maitland, Mid Coast, Muswellbrook, Nambucca, Narromine, Newcastle, Northern Beaches, Oberon, Penrith, Port Macquarie Hastings, 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, Recovery Centre locations and more, contact Service NSW on 13 77 88 or visit www.nsw.gov.au/floods.

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

Further information on disaster assistance can also be found at www.recovery.gov.au.