Disaster assistance is available for people, businesses and local councils affected by storms and floods in parts of Sydney and the east coast of NSW during January 2016.
For Sydney, assistance is available for the local government areas of Bankstown, Blacktown, Campbelltown, Canterbury, City of Sydney, Fairfield, Hurstville, Kogarah, Liverpool, Marrickville, Penrith, Randwick, Rockdale, Sutherland, and Wollondilly for storms and floods that occurred on 14 and 15 January 2016.
For the east coast, assistance is available for the local government areas of Bega Valley, Gloucester, Hawkesbury, Port Macquarie-Hastings and Wyong for floods that occurred on 3 January 2016.
Assistance for these floods will:
- help eligible people whose homes or belongings have been damaged, and who meet an assets and income test
- support councils in affected local government areas with the costs associated with cleaning up and restoring damaged essential public assets
- provide concessional interest rate loans for small businesses, primary producers and not-for-profit organisations
- offer freight subsidies to primary producers
- supply grants to not-for-profit organisations.
This assistance is in addition to relief announced on 14 January 2016 for the local government areas of Dungog, Eurobodalla, Great Lakes, Maitland, Newcastle, and Port Stephens.
Assistance is provided through the jointly funded Commonwealth-State Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements.
Damage assessments are continuing throughout the Sydney, Hunter and Central Coast.
More information
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 or call 1800 678 593.
To find out more about NSW and national disaster assistance visit Emergency NSW or the Australian Government.