DISASTER recovery assistance is now available in the Armidale, Bellingen, Central Coast, Cessnock City, Clarence Valley, Coffs Harbour City, Dungog, Kempsey, Lake Macquarie, Maitland City, Mid-Coast, Nambucca Valley, Newcastle City, Port Macquarie-Hastings, Port Stephens, and Tenterfield local government areas following severe storms and floods from 10 March 2021 onwards.

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

Minister for Emergency Management David Littleproud said the storms and floods have caused widespread damage across the impacted council areas.

“This is a serious event with heavy rainfall, severe winds and widespread flooding, resulting in a high number of flood rescues, damage to roads and properties and a large-scale, multi-agency response led by the NSW SES,” Minister Littleproud said.

“Through the DRFA, a range of practical assistance measures are now available to help people get back on their feet and help councils get on with the clean-up and repairs to infrastructure.”

New South Wales Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott said communities experienced significant disruption due to heavy rainfall and flooding over several days, including damage to and closure of roads and schools.

“As NSW continues to deal with this serious weather event, today’s announcement will help reassure those already affected that there is assistance available to cover the costs associated with the operational response and support households, small businesses, primary producers, not-for-profit organisations and councils as they continue to repair the damaged,” Minister Elliott said.

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 Service NSW on 13 77 88. 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 Service NSW at disasterassistance.service.nsw.gov.au.