Disaster relief available for Central Coast flood victims

Disaster assistance will be available from 2pm on July 7 to Central Coast residents and businesses affected by severe flooding in recent days, with the region among 23 in the state declared Natural Disaster zones following torrential rain.

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

Minister for Emergency Management, Murray Watt, said the flooding has led to a large number of evacuations throughout Metropolitan Sydney, the Hawkesbury and the Central Coast, with major flood operations still ongoing.

“We have seen some of these impacted communities being hit by floods for a third and fourth time in 18 months, which is extremely distressing to the residents of these communities,” Watt said.

“The Australian and NSW governments have worked very cooperatively through this latest flood emergency, to ensure defence and other resources were deployed early and fast.

“Similarly, we’re now working hard together to make sure that impacted communities get the

financial and other assistance they need as soon as possible.”

Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience and Minister for Flood Recovery, Steph Cooke, said significant recovery support would be required to help support communities once the major weather event passes.

“(This) announcement will ensure immediate assistance is available to impacted communities, including assistance for people who have lost or had damage to their homes,” Cooke said.

“While we are still very much in the emergency response phase of this developing weather event, as waters recede we will work with communities to assess longer term recovery needs and ensure appropriate long-term support is provided.”

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 road and essential public assets; concessional interest rate loans for small businesses, primary producers and non-profit organisations; and freight subsidies for primary producers.

For information on personal hardship and distress assistance, contact Service NSW on 13 77 88.

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

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

_{Primary source: Media release, Jul 4, 2022, NSW Government}