2022-23 Budget Targets Flood Support And National Recovery And Resilience

As part of our plan for a stronger economy, the Morrison-Joyce Government is continuing to help communities recover from the recent floods in Queensland and New South Wales while also reducing future disaster risks, as part of a targeted package of measures in the 2022-23 Federal Budget.

Minister for Emergency Management and National Recovery and Resilience Senator the Hon Bridget McKenzie said under the Government's Emergency Response Fund (ERF) we have committed the maximum allocation of $150 million per year for recovery and post-disaster activities to support affected communities over the next two years.

"In 2022-23, $150 million from the ERF will deliver additional recovery and post-disaster resilience projects in the heavily impacted Northern Rivers region of NSW. Projects will be identified through a $10 million investment in the Northern Rivers Resilience Initiative that will be delivered by the National Recovery and Resilience Agency with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, and working closely with the NSW Government.

"This builds on our previous announcement that in 2021-22 the Queensland and NSW Governments will each receive $75 million from the ERF to spend on projects where they, in agreement with the Australian Government, determine funding is most needed across the flood impacted Local Government Areas," Minister McKenzie said.

"The Commonwealth is providing financial support to communities hit hard by the February-March floods through the Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment (AGDRP) and the Disaster Recovery Allowance. This support allows people in these communities to get back on their feet. The Commonwealth has already paid $1.29 billion in individual supports.

"We are listening to communities and providing funding for support where it is needed most.

"Under the 'Resilient Kids' program, $10 million will be provided over 4 years from 2021-22 to support the mental health of school-aged children in the Northern Rivers region affected by the recent flood event.

"This measure recognises the effect a natural disaster can have on the mental health of children and will provide funding to the Primary Health Network to work with the community including parents, teachers and caregivers to commission early intervention mental health and social and emotional wellbeing supports to reduce the longer-term impacts from the event.

"A further $800,000 is also being provided to the Regional Small Business Support Program to support small businesses impacted by the recent flood event in NSW and Queensland in two Rural Financial Counselling Service regions until 30 June 2023.

"In addition, this Budget includes a $116.4 million boost for the Australian Government's Black Summer Bushfire Recovery Grant Program. This means that every local government area impacted by the Black Summer bushfire disaster will benefit in some way from the total $390 million in grant funding.

"These Budget initiatives will play a critical role in supporting disaster impacted local communities and businesses to recover as quickly as possible and be better prepared for future events."

In addition to these Budget measures, the Commonwealth has now committed over $2 billion, jointly with the New South Wales and Queensland Governments, to provide recovery support for businesses, primary producers and individuals affected by the March 2022 floods.

For New South Wales, this includes jointly funding $1.44 billion in recovery measures:

• $100 million for a Small and Medium-sized Businesses Package in the seven highly-impacted local government areas (LGAs) of Lismore, Ballina, Byron, Kyogle, the Richmond Valley, Clarence Valley and Tweed.
• $35 million for Rural Landholder Grants of up to $25,000, for impacted landholders state-wide, who are not eligible under existing support mechanisms, including insurance or special disaster assistance, and are able to demonstrate losses and damage beyond the vicinity of the residential dwelling.
• $150 million for the primary industry sector targeted at assisting primary producers to protect supply chains, and boost recovery and rebuilding efforts.
• $142 million to provide assessment of properties and the demolition of those found to be uninhabitable across disaster-declared LGAs.
• Up to $50 million for large businesses and major employers in key industries to provide immediate financial assistance in the Northern Rivers (Commonwealth only funding).
• $285.2 million for a 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
• 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.
• $300 million to assist with the clean-up and removal of flood and storm related damage, debris and green waste for all NSW disaster declared LGAs.
• $1 million grants all impacted councils in disaster declared LGAs to assist with their immediate social, built, economic and environmental needs.

For Queensland, we have jointly funded $558.5 million in support communities in need. This includes demand driven grants of up to $75,000 for primary producers, up to $50,000 for affected small businesses and not-for-profit organisations, and $20,000 for sporting and community clubs and associations will be available through Queensland Government agencies to help flood-affected communities get back on their feet.

2022-2023 Budget measures include:

• Under the Emergency Response Fund, the Government has committed to the maximum allocation of $150 million per annum available for recovery and post-disaster activities over the next two years to support affected communities in Queensland and New South Wales:
  • In 2021-22, the Queensland and NSW Governments will each receive $75 million to address areas of greatest need.
  • In 2022-23, $150 million will be provided to fast track recovery and post-disaster resilience efforts in the Northern Rivers region, informed by projects identified in conjunction with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, through the Northern Rivers Resilience Initiative, working closely with New South Wales.
• Additional two weekly disaster payments for people in the catastrophe zones of the Northern Rivers region who have already claimed and received the Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment (AGDRP).
• $10 million over four years from 2021-22 to the North Coast Primary Health Network under the 'Resilient Kids' program to implement mental health and trauma-informed supports for primary and secondary school-aged children in the Northern Rivers region affected by the flood event.
• $5 million to provide targeted support to Non-Government Schools affected by the floods in both states.
• $22.1 million for Community Child Care providers in the flood affected areas, to ensure they can continue to operate and care for children in those communities.
• $800,000 in additional funding for the Regional Small Business Support Program to support small businesses in two Rural Financial Counselling Service (RFCS) regions as well as free and independent case managed financial counselling through the RFCS.
• An additional $116.4 million for the Black Summer Bushfire Recovery Grant Program, which will fund 524 community projects totalling $390 million in grant funding.
• Working with states in 2021-22 to scope a national multi-hazards warning application for the public.
• $1.7 million to Emergency Management Australia to integrate with the National Resource Sharing Centre, to better share resources and capability information across states and territories and the Commonwealth during large-scale disasters.

These measures build on the significant reforms and improvements to the Commonwealth's emergency management and resilience architecture, developed in response to the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements.

For the first time in Australia's history we have an enduring Agency dedicated to recovery from, and building resilience to natural disasters.

This includes a new focus not just on recovery, but on ensuring that we are better prepared to withstand future disasters, making our regions stronger, our communities more resilient and our people safer.