NSW pledges $551 million in flood support

Farid Farid | March 10, 2022

People whose homes have been damaged or destroyed by the unprecedented flood crisis in NSW will benefit from a half a billion dollar support package.

Premier Dominic Perrottet, who has spent most of the week with flood-affected residents in the Northern Rivers, announced the $551 million housing support package in the town Goonellebah on Thursday.

“We’re announcing a package that will approximately support 25,000 households in relation to housing support,” he said.

The federal government is funding half the package.

The package will provide 16 weeks rent support ranging from $6000 to more than $18,000 per household.

Of the 9200 homes assessed so far, 5500 are damaged and 2834 are uninhabitable, Mr Perrottet said.

There are 1234 people living in emergency accommodation in the Northern Rivers.

“We want people out of evacuation centres,” Mr Perrottet said.

The government will also provide support for pod dwellings and mobile motor homes while people rebuild.

Mr Perrottet said $90 million would be allocated for the mammoth clean-up, saying it would take months.

After more than two weeks of devastating rain that inflicted widespread damage along the state’s coast, the sun finally emerged on Thursday. 

Residents in some flood-hit areas previously subject to evacuation orders have been told they can begin returning to their homes. 

But not all will be habitable, as the slow recovery pushes on, with more than 4000 tonnes of debris collected in one day alone.

Matt Laycock, 24, hailing from the village of The Pocket near Mullumbimby is critical of how authorities have responded so far.

“You’ve seen civilians doing what the army should be doing… like building pulley systems across rivers … and people trekking for overnight missions into the hills trying to save people,” he told AAP.

His LGA of Byron Bay, as well as Ballina and Tweed council areas, have not been designated as eligible for a quick $2000 disaster relief payment from the federal government.

The 24-year-old with a sizeable social media following has been posting footage of the devastation.

“Offering people that have lost absolutely everything … just $2000 is a bit of a joke,” he said.

The death toll in NSW rose to nine on Wednesday when police found the body of a man believed to be a delivery driver who had been missing since Tuesday.

While there is a reprieve from the rain that has battered the state, a strong wind warning is current along the coast from Byron Bay to Eden.

The Bureau of Meteorology said significant flooding will continue in a number of communities along the Hawkesbury and Nepean River catchment for at least another 24 hours.

State Emergency Services Commissioner Carlene York says preparations are under way to transition to the recovery phase of the operation.

The unprecedented flooding crisis involved more than 1600 SES volunteers on the ground at the peak of the event.

There are still 38 evacuation orders affecting 9000 people as well as 24 evacuation warnings affecting 20,000 across most of the coast.

“Regretfully the rains have started to come from Queensland and western NSW is now going back into flood,” Ms York told ABC radio on Thursday.

The Hawkesbury Nepean Valley remains of concern after river levels at Windsor peaked on Wednesday morning with flood levels hitting 13.8 metres – the highest since 1978.

In the Northern Rivers region, the focus is now on cleaning up with more ADF personnel arriving.

“There is a long journey ahead,” Mr Perrottet said.

“But from the government’s perspective, we will be with you side by side, day after day, week after week, month after month as we move through this difficult time.”

The cost of the catastrophic floods continues to rise with NSW insurance claims totalling $663 million – an 18 per cent rise – in the last 24 hours, according to the Insurance Council of Australia.

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese will head to northern NSW on Thursday.