Disaster recovery assistance has been extended to a further 13 local government areas following the severe storms and floods in New South Wales. 

The additional local government areas include: Bathurst, Bega Valley, Byron, Eurobodalla, Glen Innes Severn, Gwydir, Inverell, Kyogle, Lismore, Moree Plains, Richmond Valley, Tweed and Wingecarribee.

Assistance is now being provided to 47 local government areas in NSW through the jointly funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).

Federal Member for Hume Angus Taylor said the Australian Government is committed to ensuring the region's recovery is effective.

“Severe weather and flooding has caused significant damage to roads, businesses and residential properties, with many councils now undertaking clean-up work and repairs to infrastructure,” Mr Taylor said.

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. 

The local government areas announced today are in addition to those announced on 20 and 21 March 2021, which included: Armidale, Bellingen, Central Coast, Cessnock, Clarence Valley, Coffs Harbour, Dungog, Kempsey, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, Mid-Coast, Nambucca Valley, Newcastle, Port Macquarie-Hastings, Port Stephens, Tenterfield, Blacktown, Blue Mountains, Camden, Campbelltown, Cumberland, Canterbury Bankstown, Fairfield, Hawkesbury, Hornsby, Inner West, Ku-ring-gai, Liverpool, Northern Beaches, Parramatta, Penrith, Sutherland, The Hills and Wollondilly.

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