Wingecarribee Shire Council has been included among 13 Local Government Areas eligible for the Australian and New South Wales Government's Disaster assistance funding program, for those impacted by flooding from 5 April 2024.
The Assistance measures are being provided through the Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).
Support includes:
- Funding for affected local councils to help with the costs of cleaning up and restoring damaged essential public assets.
- Assistance for eligible residents to help meet immediate needs like emergency accommodation or small cash payments to purchase essential items generally provided from evacuation or recovery centres.
- Grants for eligible residents to replace lost essential household items to maintain basic standard of living.
- Grants for eligible residents to undertake essential structural repairs to restore their homes to a safe and habitable condition.
- Concessional interest rate loans for small businesses, primary producers, sporting and recreation clubs, and non-profit organisations to repair or replace damaged or destroyed property.
- Freight subsidies for primary producers to help transport livestock and fodder.
Wingecarribee Shire Council General Manager, Lisa Miscamble, is encouraging our local residents with emergency needs and property damage, to reach out for the support being provided.
"Our Council crews are currently out surveying the damage in our region following the extreme downpour from late last week. We know many of us are struggling with the damage done, and the clean-up operations underway," said Ms Miscamble.
"It is great to see disaster support activated so quickly by Government. On behalf of Council, I would also like to thank our local community emergency services, especially the SES, and volunteers who have been kept extremely busy tending to emergencies and cleaning up during this time," she added.
"The full scope of the damage is continuing to be assessed. Council's priority is to assist with the most impacted areas, and to make them as safe as possible, as soon as possible. We acknowledge the Government's disaster declarations of recovery funding is crucial in unlocking urgent assistance and are thankful."
