Sunshine Coast residents suffering hardship from flood damage are now eligible for financial help under an emergency declaration, Member for Maroochydore Fiona Simpson said today.
Ms Simpson said the Minister for Police and Community Safety has recently approved the amended activation of the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA).
The area defined for receipt of NDRRA relief measures is “Communities within the defined areas of northwest Queensland and the far north to south east coast of Queensland affected by ex-Tropical Cyclone Oswald and associated rainfall and flooding in January 2013.
On Sunday 27th January 2013, the Minister for Police and Community Safety approved the following:
Essential Services Safety and Reconnection Scheme for the following local government areas:
– Fraser Coast Regional Council; Gympie Regional Council; Moreton Bay Regional Council; North Burnett Regional Council; and Sunshine Coast Regional Council.
Personal Hardship Assistance Scheme for the following local government areas:
– Fraser Coast Regional Council; Gympie Regional Council; Moreton Bay Regional Council; North Burnett Regional Council; and Sunshine Coast Regional Council.
Personal Hardship Assistance Scheme (PHAS) grants are now available to support those families experiencing personal hardship, by covering the immediate, unexpected basic costs of essential items such as food, clothing and accommodation due to the extreme weather.
A grant of up to $180 per person, up to a maximum of $900 for a family of five or more, is available to eligible people experiencing genuine hardship.
Essential Household Contents Grants, Structural Assistance Grants and Essential Services Safety Reconnection Scheme Grants would also be available for individuals and families affected by the flooding caused by ex-Tropical Cyclone Oswald.
Essential Household Contents Grants may be available to low-income families to help with the replacement or repair of uninsured, essential household contents which have been lost, damaged or destroyed by the storm.
Additionally, owners of houses that have sustained structural damage and who are not insured may be eligible to receive a Structural Assistance Grant of up to $14,685 per household.
For those owners who are uninsured, or unable to claim insurance, you may also be eligible for Essential Services Safety Reconnection Scheme Grants to help you reconnect essential services that were damaged by a disaster.”
There are two parts to this grant:
Inspection: up to $200 towards a safety inspection for each essential service needing reconnection (electricity, gas, water and sewerage or septic system)
Repair: up to $4200 towards repair work to enable essential services to be reconnected (for example, electrical rewiring).
These grants are income and asset tested and must meet certain criteria.
The outreach teams will be able to help flood-affected residents apply for the Structural Assistance Grants and Essential Services Safety Reconnection Scheme grants.
People who are experiencing personal hardship due to the storm should contact the Department of Communities on 1800 173 349 for support.
For more information, go to http://www.qld.gov.au/community/
disasters-emergencies/financial-assistance/
