Further Disaster Relief Activated – $62.5 million damage

The Queensland Government has extended disaster relief funding activations to an additional nine local government areas bringing the total damage bill to more than $60 million.

The joint State and Commonwealth-funded Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA) have today been initiated for Aurukun, Charters Towers, Hopevale, Kowanyama, Lockhart River, Mapoon, Mornington, Northern Peninsular Area and Pormpuraaw local government areas.

Emergency Services Minister Neil Roberts said a further $9.6 million worth of damage is estimated to have been made to public infrastructure for a State-wide total of $62.5 million.

“The Department has activated NDRRA assistance for the restoration of essential public assets – primarily roads; for counter-disaster costs incurred by local councils; small business; and personal hardship,” he said.

“Today’s activation brings to 30 the number of local government areas declared under the current NDRRA brought about by recent monsoonal weather.”

There remain eight rivers in flood after further heavy falls around Urandangi (61mm) and Camooweal (58mm). They include the Diamantina; Georgina; Nicholson; Gregory; Cloncurry; Flinders; and Norman, and Eyre Creek.

Mr Roberts again urged any individuals who do suffer personal hardship as a result of the storms and associated flooding, to call the Department of Communities for assistance, on 1800 173 349.

“Personal hardship grants of $165 per person and up to $765 per family may be available for directly impacted residents who have been unable to recover via their own means,” he said.

Mean-tested Essential Household Contents Grants are also available for some residents. This can be up to $1,635 for an individual applicant or $4,910 for a couple or family.

Mean-tested Repairs and Replacement of Dwellings assistance may also be available of up to $10,100 for eligible individuals and up to $13,600 for eligible couples or families.

The latest activations come after the extension of NDRRA to provide concessional loans to small businesses for carry-on and re-establishment costs to help small business and assist their recovery.

More than 56 per cent, or 975,794 square kilometres of Queensland is now eligible for disaster relief funding, almost equivalent in size to South Australia.

Local government areas already eligible for NDRRA are: Barcoo, Barcaldine, Boulia, Burke, Carpentaria, Cairns, Cassowary Coast, Cloncurry, Cook, Croydon, Diamantina, Doomadgee, Etheridge, Flinders, Hinchinbrook, McKinlay, Mount Isa, Richmond, Tablelands, Townsville and Winton.

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