Media Release 10 January 2011
Member for Page, Janelle Saffin is encouraging local primary producers and small businesses affected by recent flooding in the electorate of Page to contact the NSW Rural Assistance Authority to see if they are eligible for flood recovery grants now available.
To be eligible, applicants need to show that 51 per cent of their income is derived from production – based on copies of their latest personal and business taxation returns, as well as satisfying other criteria.
A package of one-off “Category C Grants” – worth up to $15,000 – is available under the National Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA) provided jointly by Federal and NSW Governments.
Category C assistance will help primary producers with general clean up costs including the removal of debris and dead livestock, purchase of fodder, replacement trading stock, repairs to damaged equipment and property access – without which production and viability could be disrupted beyond the next season. It will help small businesses affected by flooding to conduct repairs and resume trading as soon as possible.
Category C assistance does not compensate for income losses and is not intended to replace insurance. It does not cover damage to dwellings, damages covered by insurance and cost of using own labour, existing staff or own equipment.
“A lot of producers and businesses in the region have been doing it extremely tough as a result of flooding,” Janelle Saffin said.
“For producers and farmers, crops have been destroyed and livestock has been lost.
“It’s clear that many small businesses have also suffered significant disruption to their businesses.
“This additional assistance is about helping farmers and businesses get back on their feet.
“These one-off grants will help minimise the economic impact of the floods in the affected communities and help people get back to business as quickly as possible.
“The Gillard Labor Government would continue to work with the NSW Government to provide as much support to NSW communities as we can as the recovery process continues.”
The new assistance for small business owners and primary producers is in addition to other joint Commonwealth/NSW Government assistance being provided under the NDRRA across affected Local Government Areas. That includes concessional loans of up to $130,000 for small businesses and primary producers; concessional loans of up to $25,000 for voluntary, non-profit organisations; road and rail freight subsidies of up to $15,000 to assist primary producers for the carriage of livestock and fodder; personal hardship and distress assistance; restoration of public infrastructure; and certain counter disaster operations.
Applications for assistance must be lodged to the NSW Rural Assistance Authority by Thursday 30 June, 2011.
For further information, or to apply for assistance under the Natural Disaster Community Recovery Package, call the NSW Rural Assistance Authority on 1800 678 593 or visit www.raa.nsw.gov.au
Media Contact: Paul Gallagher 0403076120
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