Lismore MP Janelle Saffin secures $1.14 million in extra bushfire support for Tenterfield and Kyogle businesses

Office of the NSW Labor Member for Lismore, media release,13 November 2020:

Janelle Saffin pays a visit to Kyogle RFS

LISMORE MP Janelle Saffin has reminded eligible small businesses in Tenterfield Shire and Kyogle Local Government Areas that they have one more month (until 15 December 2020) to apply for the $10,000 Bushfire Support Grant.

Ms Saffin said she was proud to have successfully lobbied for both LGAs to be included in the grant program, which had delivered $1.14 million in much-needed extra financial support to 114 local businesses in her electorate.

“As of this week, 80 businesses from Tenterfield Shire had been approved for the $10,000 grant and 34 had been successful in securing the grant within Kyogle Council’s boundaries,” Ms Saffin said.

“Service for Business (SfB) NSW tells me another nine applications are currently being assessed and that they welcome more applications from eligible businesses over the next month until the closing date of Tuesday, 15 December, 2020.

“I want to commend SfB NSW staff on how they have supported eligible businesses on the Northern Rivers and Northern Tablelands, not only with this specific grant but on a range of COVID-19 assistance this year.

“It is a shame that the NSW Government did not see fit to match its $45-million rescue package for NSW businesses impacted by the NSW-Victoria border closure because our local businesses south of the Queensland border have taken equally big hits while that closure was in force.

“The NSW Government must ensure that it continues to provide support for small business as we head into 2021 because we still have a long and uncertain road to travel as we try to recover from this once-in-a-century pandemic.”

Ms Saffin said she was also supporting grant applications being lodged by communities in Drake and Woodenbong to establish bushfire evacuation centres, which, if successful, would build resilience in these bushfire-prone areas.

For more information about the NSW Government’s Small Business Bushfire Support Grant go to https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/campaign/business-support-bushfire-impacted-communities or if you’re not able to apply online, visit a Service NSW Centre.