Disaster support after major flood in Namoi

Flood-affected residents and businesses in Narrabri and Gunnedah Shires will be able to access support after disaster assistance was activated for local government areas impacted by severe weather events.

The two North West shires experienced major flooding earlier this month. Official recordings of the Namoi River’s height reached major flood level in Gunnedah, Narrabri and Wee Waa.

Support has been made available under the joint Commonwealth-state Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).

Other local government areas eligible for support include Tamworth, Uralla, Walcha and Armidale.

Federal Minister for Emergency Management Kristy McBain said the Commonwealth government is working closely with the state government to ensure that affected communities receive the support they need to recover.

“The storms and snowfall have caused significant disruption to homes, roads, and services, and we know the impact is being deeply felt across these communities,” Ms McBain said.

“This support will help ease immediate hardship and assist with longer term rebuilding efforts, including restoring public infrastructure and helping uninsured households get back on their feet.

“Our focus remains on standing with these communities as they recover, rebuild and prepare for future severe weather events.”

Measures that may be provided to communities through the joint arrangement include assistance for eligible residents to help meet immediate needs like emergency accommodation and essential items generally provided from evacuation or recovery centres, grants for low-income, uninsured residents to replace lost essential household items to maintain basic standard of living, grants for low-income, uninsured residents to undertake essential structural repairs to restore their homes to a basic, safe and habitable condition, 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 and grants to sporting and recreation clubs to repair or replace damaged or destroyed property, freight subsidies for primary producers to help transport livestock and fodder, and financial support towards counter disaster activity undertaken by emergency service organisations to keep communities safe.

NSW Minister for Recovery Janelle Saffin said the state government is activating targeted support to meet immediate community needs and to get vital infrastructure back up and running. “A natural disaster declaration is the first step in unlocking support these communities urgently need,” Ms Saffin said.