Introduction
Now an ex-cyclone, South Queensland are now facing the repercussions arising from Cyclone Alfred. Emergency flood alerts have not been issued and over 200,000 homes and businesses are currently without power. As the flooding continues, the Queensland and NSW Government have announced a large amount of grants available to those affected by the natural disaster. This article will dissect the eligibility for these grants and the grants themselves.
Eligibility
In order to access the grants offered by the government, you must be in one of the eligible areas.
Geographic Eligibility
These areas include:
- The Gold Coast City Local Government Area
- Logan City Local Government Area
- Redland City Local Government Area
- Local Government Areas (LGAs) across NSW including: Ballina, Bellingen, Byron, Clarence Valley, Coffs Harbour, Dungog, Kempsey, Kyogle, Lismore, Lord Howe Island, MidCoast, Nambucca Valley, Port Macquarie-Hastings, Richmond Valley and Tweed
Identification Eligibility
You need to be aged 18 years or older to complete an online application and have:
- Identification (ID)—Driver licence and Medicare card
- Note: If you do not have these, other forms of ID are accepted. Call the Community Recovery Hotline on 1800 173 349.
- Bank account details.
- A valid email address.
- If you are under the age of 18, please contact the Community Recovery Hotline on 1800 173 349 to obtain advice on how to lodge an application.
Grants Available: Queensland
There are various grants available for individuals and businesses in both Queensland and NSW LGAs. Below is a list of these grants available to those who meet the identification requirements and geographic eligibility.
Emergency Hardship Assistance
The Emergency Hardship Assistance grant is for help with essential needs, food, medication, clothing and temporary accommodation. This grant may be available if you:
- live in or are stranded in the affected area
- have experienced personal hardship and can’t meet your immediate essential needs.
Grant amount:
- $180 for individuals
- up to $900 for families of 5 or more.
Essential Services Hardship Assistance
The Essential Services Hardship Assistance grant is for help with essential services such as, power, gas, water, and sewage. This grant may be available if:
- you live in the affected area
- you have lost 1 or more essential services for more than 5 days and are experiencing personal hardship as a result
- your utility service provider/s confirm that you lost these essential services.
Grant amount:
- $150 for individuals
- up to $750 for families of 5 or more.
Essential Household Contents Grant
The Essential Household Contents Grant is to replace essential lost household contents, such as bed linen and white goods. This grant may be available if you:
- live in the affected area
- own the items that have been lost
- own or rent the affected residence
- are uninsured or unable to claim insurance
- meet the income limits.
We will visit your home to assess the damage. We will need photographic evidence if items must be disposed of.
Grant amount:
- $1,765 for individuals
- up to $5,300 for couples or families.
Essential Services Safety and Reconnection
The Essential Services Safety and Reconnection Scheme (ESSRS) is to help with safety inspections and repairs to reconnect essential services, e.g. gas, water, electricity and sewage. A grant payment may be available if you:
- live in the affected area
- have had your essential services disconnected
- own and live in the affected residence
- are uninsured or unable to claim insurance
- meet the income limits.
We will visit your home to assess the damage.
Grant amount:
- Inspection costs—$200 for safety inspection for water, electricity, gas and sewage.
- $4,200 for repairs or replacement of these services.
Structural Assistance Grant
The Structural Assistance Grant is to help with structural repairs or contribution towards replacement of dwelling. This grant may be available if:
- you live in the affected area
- you own and live in the affected residence
- your home has become structurally unsafe to live in
- you are uninsured or unable to claim insurance
- you meet the income limits.
We will visit your home to assess the damage.
Grant amount:
Uninsured, low income, owner-occupiers may receive up to a maximum of $80,000 to help repair your home to make it safe, secure and habitable.
Transport and Motoring Assistance: Queensland
There are also various assistance schemes available to assist with transport and motoring assistance for:
- Vehicle registration
This includes surcharge and late fee exemptions, shorter registration terms, replacing lost or damaged number plates, defer seasonally registered vehicles, fodder transport with primary producer concession and certificate of inspection extension.
- Licensing and other transport and motoring products
This includes license or photo identity smartcards replacement, learner logbooks replacement, industry licences, accreditation documents or books replacements, National Driver Work Diaries replacement, infringement notices replacement and disability parking 3-month extension for further permit.
For more information on transport and motoring assistance offered by the Queensland government, you can find more information on their website to start your application.
Grants Available: New South Wales
Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements
Assistance is available for those impacted by Cyclone Alfred in New South Wales. NSW LGAs have activated disaster assistance in areas which have been impacted too.
The joint Australian, state and territory governments’ Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) provide a range of financial assistance to the natural disaster-declared areas in each state or territory.
For Tropical Cyclone Alfred Severe Weather, the available assistance measures may include:
- personal hardship and distress assistance
- counter disaster operations
- restoration of essential public assets
- concessional interest rate loans for small businesses, primary producers and non-profit organisations who have suffered direct damage
- freight subsidies for primary producers
- grants for non-profit organisations.
You can apply for these grants on the Disaster Assist website.
Additional Recovery Assistance Measures
Under the DRFA, the following extraordinary assistance measures have been activated for this disaster:
Community Recovery Support Fund – provide grants to councils to support the delivery of essential immediate recovery activities, including clean-up.
For information on available recovery assistance, visit the NSW Reconstruction Authority and Service NSW websites.
For further information on recovery arrangements, visit the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements page.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade will replace passports that have been lost or damaged in declared natural disasters free of charge, visit the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website.
