Disaster assistance for NSW communities affected by bushfires

The local government areas receiving Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA) assistance include:

• Bathurst
• Bland Shire
• Cessnock
• Dubbo Regional
• Dungog
• Goulburn-Mulwaree
• Kempsey
• Maitland
• Mid Coast
• Mid-Western Regional
• Narrabri
• Penrith
• Port Macquarie-Hastings
• Port Stephens
• Queanbeyan-Palerang
• Tenterfield
• Upper Hunter
• Warrumbungle
• Yass Valley.

This assistance 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 non-profit organisations.

Minister for Emergency Services Troy Grant said a range of disaster assistance is available to help affected individuals, small businesses, primary producers, and local councils.

“Many communities have been severely affected by the bushfires over the weekend,” Mr Grant said.

“The Australian and NSW governments have acted quickly to ensure affected people have access to much-needed disaster assistance to support their recovery.”

Further information on disaster assistance is available on the Australian Government’s Disaster Assist website and the NSW emergency information and response website.

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 them on 1800 678 593.