Rental support payments for flood victims and grants for rural landholders affected by the June/July floods across the Central Coast region will soon be available through a $23M relief fund.
The jointly funded package by the Commonwealth and NSW governments will be available through Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).
Financial assistance will include rental support payments for up to 16 weeks to help households secure safe accommodation during the recovery process.
The Rural Landholder Grants program will provide up to $25,000 to help with immediate clean-up and repair costs for many rural landholders.
NSW Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience and Minister for Flood Recovery, Steph Cooke said the funding would flow through Service NSW and the Rural Assistance Authority.
Meanwhile, crews from Central Coast Council remain on the ground, focussing on making areas safe for the community, clearing debris from roads, footpaths, public spaces and repairing the significant damage to road networks, the lakes and coastal foreshores.
Council will be delivering 1700 community bulletins to flood-affected residents, with impacted areas scheduled to receive this information through this week.
This includes information for impacted residents about recovery assistance hubs to visit for information about financial support for residents, small businesses and not-for-profit organisations; mental health support services, what to do when waiting on an insurer, and more.
Flood-impacted residents who are seeking further support, should call Service NSW on 13 77 88, between 7am and 7pm on weekdays or 9am to 5pm on weekends.
Central Coast Council, Resilience NSW, Service NSW, and other agencies remain on ground at recovery assistance hubs to offer face-to-face support and provide access to information and services for flood-affected Central Coast residents.
Residents can gain face-to-face support on emergency accommodation, finance assistance, mental health support, community support services, legal and insurance guidance, and clean-up advice.
Recovery hubs are located at: The Entrance Community Centre in Battley Ave on Thursday, August 4 between 12pm and 7pm; San Remo Neighbourhood Centre, 28 Brava Ave on Thursday, August 4 from 10am to 3pm; Chittaway Point Hall in Geoffrey Rd on Saturday, August 6 between 10am and 2pm; and Gudjagang Ngara Li-Dhi Aboriginal Corporation, 4 Church St, Wyong on Wednesday, August 3 from 10am to 3pm.
Council will make an announcement on Wednesday, August 3 about locations and opening times of recovery assistance hubs beyond this week.
Meanwhile, residents can still gain support by calling Service NSW on 13 77 88.
For more information on services available to support local flood-impacted residents, and an update on clean-up and recovery efforts across the Central Coast, is available at Council’s website dedicated severe weather event recovery webpage
Sue Murray