Disaster assistance has been activated for communities in 15 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Northern NSW ahead of the arrival of Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
The NSW Government's Natural Disaster Declaration applies to the LGAs of:
Ballina, Bellingen, Byron, Clarence Valley, Coffs Harbour, Dungog, Kempsey, Kyogle, Lismore, Lord Howe Island, MidCoast, Nambucca Valley, Port Macquarie-Hastings, Richmond Valley and Tweed.
Support has been made available under the joint Commonwealth-state Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).
Measures that may be provided include:
• Assistance for eligible residents to help meet immediate needs like emergency accommodation and essential items generally provided from evacuation or recovery centres.
• Grants for eligible low-income residents to replace lost essential household items to maintain basic standard of living.
• Grants for eligible low-income residents to undertake essential structural repairs to restore their homes to a basic, safe and habitable condition.
• 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 and grants to sporting and recreation clubs to repair or replace damaged or destroyed property.
• Freight subsidies for primary producers to help transport livestock and fodder.
• Financial support towards counter disaster activity undertaken by emergency service organisations to keep communities safe
