Disaster Assistance Extended To Include Kempsey and Port Macquarie LGAs

The state of natural disaster has been extended to include Kempsey and Port Macquarie Hastings local government areas (LGA) following the June-July severe weather and flooding across NSW.

With this declaration, residents in the two LGA’s are now eligible for the jointly funded Commonwealth-State disaster assistance that was already available to another 40 areas.

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NSW Nationals minister for Emergency Services and Resilience and Minister for Flood Recovery Steph Cooke said recovery efforts are 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,” she said.

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

Member for Port Macquarie Leslie Williams told Port Macquarie News she hoped people affected by the severe weather and floods will apply for the assistance.

"I am urging any local homeowner, business owner or primary producer that suffered direct damage from the July floods to apply for the funding and support which is now on offer," she said.

Assistance under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (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.

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.

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