The State Government will open its third Emergency Relief Centre in Murray Bridge, for those whose principal place of residence has been affected by the River Murray Flood.
The Centre, located at the Ramblers Football Club, 1 Ramsay St, Murray Bridge opens at 9am on Thursday, 5 January 2023 and a range of support services will be available 9am to 5pm, seven days.
Services at the centres can assist with immediate needs such as:
- Emergency Personal Hardship Grants
- Private rental assistance and emergency accommodation
- Counselling support services
- Food relief
- Support for primary producers
- Financial counselling
- Legal services
- Community outreach
The existing Berri and Mannum Emergency Relief Centres will continue to operate within the same hours. People can attend in person or call the Relief Information Line on 1800 302 787.
Human Services Minister Nat Cook said the state government understands the floodwaters are causing distress and damage to many South Australians' lives and livelihoods and continued to stand alongside river communities.
Emergency Relief Centres are part of the government's $51.6 million initial financial assistance package for River Murray communities, households and businesses impacted by large-scale flooding.
Disaster assistance responds to key issues raised as the community responds to rising river flows.
The package includes one-off Emergency Personal Hardship Grants, emergency accommodation assistance, business grants and tourism industry support.
So far, the Berri and Mannum emergency relief centres have assisted more than 1600 people in the flood impacted areas; more than 270 have received personal hardship grants; 60 people have received accommodation grants and 30 have received private rental assistance.
The State Government will continue to work with impacted communities and the Commonwealth Government to provide further assistance as required.
For up-to-date information on emergency relief follow the SA Housing Authority's Facebook page.
Click here for more information about the River Murray Flood.
Quotes
Attributable to Nat Cook
Like the other two relief centres operating in Berri and Mannum, this Murray Bridge relief centre is for anyone whose main residence has been affected by the floods and in need of outreach services.
This is an ongoing disaster facing communities all along the Murray River and people are not only dealing with the loss and hardship brought on by these flood events but are also starting to think about the clean-up.
The concerns of our river communities are shared by the Malinauskas Government. Just as people upstream were encouraged to have an emergency plan in place and make their own accommodation arrangements in the first instance, we encourage people in the lower reaches to do the same. We are, of course, ready to help those who need it.
