NSW to get extra $742m in flood funds

Farid Farid, Stephanie Gardiner and Phoebe Loomes |

Flood-devastated communities in northern NSW will receive an additional $742 million in joint federal and state recovery funds targeting businesses, industry and residents.

Federal Emergency Management Minister Bridget McKenzie announced “the fourth tranche” alongside NSW Emergency Minister Steph Cooke in Ballina saying more than $2 billion has been disbursed in the last three weeks to the region.

The sizeable funds split 50-50 between state and federal governments are comprised of:

* $100 million for small and medium size business in the highly impacted LGAs of Ballina, Byron, Tweed, Kyogle, Lismore, Richmond Valley and Clarence Valley

* $35 million for rural landholder grants

* $150 million for the primary industry sector

* $142 million to provide assessment of properties and the demolition of those found to be uninhabitable.

NSW government will also step in with a $265 million package allocated to council for capital funds and critical infrastructure particularly water treatment and sewage works.

This pushes the whole federal and state package for the state to $1.7 billion since the rains fell.

Some 660,000 people in NSW are also being supported through an additional $653 million in federal government disaster recovery assistance.

“We know that catastrophic event that occurred was not seen elsewhere across the country,” Ms McKenzie told reporters.

“Any of us that have been on the ground in Lismore in the days since that event can attest to the devastating impact to it and the broader community.”

Ballina Mayor Sharon Cadwallader said the funding was an “injection of hope” for the community, after it had been used as a “political football”.

“We’re suffering, the whole region is suffering and whatever help we can get we’re welcoming it with open arms because it’s so badly needed,” she told AAP on Friday.

The latest funding comes after the federal government announced Thursday two additional disaster recovery payments to residents in the flood-ravaged Tweed, Byron, Kyogle and Ballina council areas.

The support was extended a week after the same payments were given to residents in Lismore, Clarence Valley and Richmond Valley council areas. 

Jihad Dib, the NSW Opposition’s spokesman for Emergency Services, said actions had not matched words.

“The government has dropped the ball… We don’t want to see announcements for the sake of announcements, we want to see delivery on the ground,” he told reporters on Friday referring to residents unable to access long-term housing.

On Thursday the NSW Treasurer Matt Kean said the framework for allocating funds had failed and there were multiple examples of flood-affected communities going without support.

Mr Kean said he understood the anger Ballina locals were feeling, and was working with the commonwealth to get grants into pockets.

He said the cost of the floods disaster would likely exceed the $5 billion the NSW government spent on the 2019-20 bushfire crisis.

Multiple outlets reported the announcement of joint state and Commonwealth flood relief was held up by Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s visit to Western Australia.

This was denied by Mr Morrison, saying he received the NSW government’s proposal on Tuesday and had met with the attorney-general and national security committee of cabinet to go through the details.

AAP