Assistance is available for Armidale, Inverell, Kyogle and Tenterfield communities. It is being provided through the jointly funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).
Assistance available from the DRFA includes:
- 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
- grants to eligible non-profit organisations.
NSW Minister for Emergency Services Troy Grant said a large number of people have had to be evacuated, and significant firefighting operations are continuing in response to each of the bushfires.
“The NSW Rural Fire Service have battled blazes during incredibly challenging weather conditions and deployed hundreds of firefighters, appliances and aircraft to combat the fires, and I know everyone is incredibly grateful for those efforts,” Mr Grant said.
“Our thoughts too are with the families and businesses who’ve been evacuated, some of whom have lost properties too. It’s a devastating experience, and our hope is that this assistance will ease some of the burden you’re now facing on the road to recovery.”
Where to get assistance
For information on personal hardship and distress assistance, contact the Disaster Welfare Assistance Line on 1800 018 444.
To apply for a concessional loan, grant or freight subsidy, visit the NSW Rural Assistance Authority website or call 1800 678 593.
Further information on disaster assistance is available on the Australian Government’s Disaster Assist website and the NSW emergency information and response website.
