Disaster assistance for Hunters Hill

MEDIA RELEASE: February 13, 2020

Disaster assistance has been made available to help people and businesses heavily impacted by recent storms and flooding in the Hunters Hill local government area.

Assistance is being provided through the jointly-funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).

Hunters Hill is one of 56 local government areas across NSW covered under the latest natural disaster declaration.

Emergency Management Minister David Littleproud, who has responsibility for Commonwealth disaster assistance, said this severe weather caused major disruption to the community and threatened life and property.

“This was a disaster event which caused significant damage to roads, electricity infrastructure, motor vehicles, businesses and residential properties,” Mr Littleproud said.

“Importantly, a range of practical assistance measures are now available to support the affected communities with their recovery.”

NSW Police and Emergency Services Minister David Elliott said the SES received more than 13,464 requests for assistance, including 314 flood rescue activations.

“Many families and businesses have been affected by these severe storms. Sadly, some of these areas were still recovering from recent bushfires and have been dealt another blow by this additional natural disaster,” Mr Elliott said.

He said assistance would help cover the costs associated with the operational response and repairing damaged essential public assets, such as roads.

Assistance available under the DRFA may include:

• help for eligible people whose homes or belongings have been damaged;
• 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;
• freight subsidies for primary producers; and
• grants to eligible non-profit organisations.

If you are uninsured and have low income, for information on personal hardship and distress assistance, please contact the Disaster Welfare Assistance Line on 1800 018 444. To apply for a concessional loan or grant, contact the NSW Rural Assistance Authority on 1800 678 593 or visit www.raa.nsw.gov.au.

Further information on disaster assistance is available on the Australia Government’s Disaster Assist website www.disasterassist.gov.au and the NSW emergency information and response website at www.emergency.nsw.gov.au.

MEDIA CONTACT: Jacqui Jones, Communications Officer. Phone: (02) 9879 9400 or 0408 027 518.  Email: jonesj@huntershill.nsw.gov.au

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