So how much is the initial disaster recovery funding outlay going to be in the New South Wales?

 

Since 22 February 2022 the NSW Perrottet Government has declared 45 Local Government Areas to be disaster areas and these are eligible for support through Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).

Between 3-5 March 2022 NSW Office of Local Government has made $1 million direct transfers to each of the following 45 local councils affected by February-March 2022 flooding:

Armidale, Ballina, Bellingen, Byron, Clarence Valley, Coffs Harbour, Glen Innes Severn, Hornsby, Kempsey, Kyogle, Lismore, Nambucca, Port Macquarie/Hastings, Richmond Valley, Tenterfield, The Hills, Tweed, Bayside, Bega Valley, Blacktown, Blue Mountains, Camden, Campbelltown, Canterbury Bankstown, Central Coast, Eurobodalla, Fairfield, Georges River, Hawkesbury, Inner West, Kiama, Ku-Ring-Gai, Liverpool City, Mid Coast, Newcastle, Northern Beaches, Parramatta, Penrith, Ryde, Shellharbour, Shoalhaven, Sutherland, Wingecarribee, Wollondilly and Wollongong.

Premier of New South Wales Dominic Perrottet said the grants are part of a $434.7 million funding recovery package, co-founded by the Commonwealth and NSW governments, with more still to come.

On 9 March 2022 Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced:

• An additional two weekly disaster payments for the catastrophe zones in the Lismore, Richmond Valley and Clarence Valley LGAs, automatically paid for those who have already claimed and received the Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment, at the current rate of $1,000 per adult and $400 per child. These payments will be made from 15 and 22 March. The NRRA will also undertake assessment of possible additional LGAs that also meet the catastrophic impact assessment

• Support for Norco in northern NSW on a bespoke business support package, in partnership with the NSW Government, to help restore operations of this key business and employer

• $10 million to support the mental health of school-aged children in the Northern Rivers region affected by the recent flood event under the ‘Resilient Kids’ program

• $800,000 to extend the Regional Small Business Support Program to include small businesses impacted by the recent flood event in NSW and QLD for two RFCS regions, with a six month extension until 31 December 2022, as well as free and independent case managed financial counselling through the Rural Financial Counselling Service

• $5.4 million to boost existing legal assistance services operating within affected communities

• $25 million for emergency relief, food relief and financial counselling services

• Approximately $6.9 million in support payments of $10,000 to assist early childhood education and care (ECEC) services affected by the floods where they have been closed for more than seven days. More severely impacted services will also be able to apply for Community Child Care Fund Special Circumstances grants

• $7 million to expand the Commonwealth’s business recovery and resilience service, Strengthening Business, into at least 30 of the most flood affected regions of northern New South Wales (NSW) and south-eastern Queensland

• $31.2 million to deliver immediate and longer term local mental health support services for individuals, families, and communities impacted by the disaster and to support communities to recover and build resilience across the flood affected communities

• $4.7 million to ensure the immediate continuity of primary health care services for flood-impacted Australians

Additional new funding was announced on 10 March providing $551.7 million to support flood affected communities across New South Wales as part of the next round of Commonwealth and New South Wales Government funding. This additional funding will provide support to small businesses, primary producers, councils, households, and families hard hit by the devastating floods. 

Included in this funding round is $285.2 million for the new Temporary Housing Support package, which will support those on the Northern Rivers who cannot live in their homes while they’re being repaired or have lost their home entirely. 

It’s estimated that this could assist up to 25,000 households, and includes; 

• Immediate hotel accommodation, to provide accommodation for four nights, with flexibility to increase while people make interim arrangements

• Grants towards initial rental costs, from $6,000 for an individual up to $18,000 for a six person household 

• Utilising Mobile Motor Homes and Recreation Camps for medium term accommodation Extending the Temporary Dwelling Program, which allows people to stay on their land in a caravan or demountable, for example.

Jointly funded NSW & Federal grants of up to $75,000 for primary producers and up to $50,000 for small businesses and not for profit organisations devastated by flooding will also be extended to the additional 28 disaster declared LGAs, delivered by the Rural Assistance Authority and Service NSW.

There was no indication given as to where all these funds would be sourced and little information as to which federal government departments or agencies would be tasked with distribution.

Given that flood recovery funding from 2021 was still taking until early 2022 to be delivered, a firm timeline for delivery would go some way to reassuring communities in regional & rural New South Wales.

Though I fear that the weakening of Australia's universal welfare system including Medicare, Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, disability insurance and age care services over the last nine years, when combined with the losses incurred during the 2019-20 East Coast Bushfire Season, the 2020 to 2022 SARS-CoV-2/Covid-19 pandemic, the more frequent extreme adverse weather events and the February-March 2022 East Coast Floods, will mean that there will be many individuals and families who will never regain their former level of financial stability.

 

Cartoons of the Week

Mark David

Cathy Wilcox

Alan Moir

“A big shout out to all of our first responders, particularly volunteer SES crews, for their exemplary work in several life-saving rescues, completing hundreds of call-outs for assistance, and monitoring and sandbagging across the region" during recent flooding - Janelle Saffin MLA

Saffin welcomes disaster assistance for our Electorate

STATE Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin has welcomed news that natural disaster assistance will flow to flood and storm-affected residents, councils, businesses, primary producers and non-profit organisations in Lismore City, Tweed and Kyogle Local Government Areas.

Ms Saffin yesterday (17 December) joined NSW Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott, NSW State Emergency Services Commissioner Carlene York, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Lismore Deputy Mayor Cr Neil Marks at SES Northern Rivers Command Centre in Goonellabah, where the relief was confirmed under the joint Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).

Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack, and Federal Member for Page Kevin Hogan were also there for the announcement.

Ms Saffin said she was with Minister Elliott in Tenterfield and Drake on Wednesday (16 December) and had hoped a natural disaster declaration would be made promptly.

“This was before Lismore was thrown into afternoon chaos by torrential rain and flash flooding,” Ms Saffin said.

“I thank Minister Elliott and his Federal counterpart, Emergency Management Minister David Littleproud, for recognising that Lismore’s flash flood and the evacuations and damage associated with flooding in South Murwillumbah and Tumbulgum this week were very serious events.

“Lessons have been learnt from major floods in 2017, where the disaster assistance did not meet the need to repair and restore the catastrophic damage to Lismore and Murwillumbah.

“A big shout out to all of our first responders, particularly volunteer SES crews, for their exemplary work in several life-saving rescues, completing hundreds of call-outs for assistance, and monitoring and sandbagging across the region this past week.”

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 essential public assets

• Concessional interest rate loans for small businesses, primary producers and non-profit organisations

• Freight subsidies for primary producers, and

• Grants to eligible non-profit organisations.

For information on personal hardship and distress assistance, contact the Disaster Welfare Assistance Line on 1800 018 444.

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

Further information on disaster assistance is available on the NSW emergency information and response website at www.emergency.nsw.gov.au and on the Australian Government’s Disaster Assist website at www.disasterassist.gov.au

Friday, 18 December 2020.

Australian Council of Social Service calls on Morrison to increase "seriously inadequate" emergency payments to bushfire victims

The Guardian, 13 January 2020:

Australia’s peak welfare body is calling on the federal government to immediately boost emergency payments for those affected by bushfires, saying it is concerned the current amount is “seriously inadequate”.

The Australian Council of Social Service chief executive, Cassandra Goldie, has written to the prime minister, Scott Morrison, with a range of recommendations the organisation says are urgently needed to help provide relief to those affected by the bushfire crisis that has destroyed more than 2,000 homes.

“It is vital that the federal government continues to play its role providing adequate support to the thousands of people so badly affected,” Goldie said.

“Acoss is very concerned that the current Disaster Recovery Payment is seriously inadequate, particularly for people on lower incomes and with fewer assets, family and friends to secure transport, alternative housing options and immediate recovery resources.”

The group is calling for the payment, which has not increased since 2006, to be boosted from $1,000 to $3,000, and from $400 per child to $1,000 per child. 

Other recommendations include increasing the Disaster Recovery Allowance, which is paid at the same rate as Newstart, which the organisation said was inadequate to cover basic living costs, and providing additional relief for people on low incomes who could not afford insurance.....

Less in response to this ACOSS call and more as pushback against his poor numbers in the 12 January 2020 Newspoll which showed Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese as the preferred prime minister with a lead of 4 points, Prime Minister Morrison has announced an increase in the Disaster Recovery Payment for children to a total of $800 per child from 20 January 2020.

Families who have already received payments for children will automatically be paid an additional $400 according to media reports.

Centrelink lives up to its growing reputation for incompetence

The Sydney Morning Herald, 10 January 2019:

Confused and angry locals doing it tough in bushfire-ravaged NSW towns have been denied government relief payments due to outdated maps and technicalities.

Upset residents told The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and Nine News they applied for the $1000 tax-free disaster recovery payment, only for Centrelink to knock it back because their "guide maps" showing the fire zone were out of date.

And several workers on the NSW South Coast whose employers have closed or reduced staffing levels due to a combination of fires, power outages, road closures and evacuations said they were also rejected by Centrelink.

Mogo resident Melinda Evans said she had been told by four Centrelink workers she was "not in the area [affected by bushfires] ... They're looking at their own map but if you look around here you can tell we're in the thick of it".

On New Year's Eve, fire tore through her rural property, destroying sheds and fences and affecting the health of Ms Evans' young son Michael.

"His breathing's terrible, he's stuffy, he's got a cough. There's nothing else we can do about it, there's nowhere else we can go."....

Read the full article here.