PERSONAL HARDSHIP ASSISTANCE EXTENDED TO MORE FLOOD-AFFECTED WIDE BAY COMMUNITIES

Personal hardship assistance of up to $900 per family has been extended to flood-affected residents in Gympie, the Fraser Coast, Noosa and Sunshine Coast, Federal Member for Wide Bay and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Llew O’Brien announced today. 

Emergency Hardship grants of up to $180 per person, to a maximum of $900 for a family of five or more are available to eligible people in flood-affected areas through the jointly funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) to alleviate personal hardship and distress.

“More than 700 people in Gympie and Maryborough have been evacuated from their homes and people throughout Wide Bay have suffered catastrophic losses as a result of these floods, so this is an additional way to help them get back on their feet,” Mr O’Brien said.

Emergency Hardship Assistance is not income or asset tested. To be eligible, applicants must meet all of the following criteria:

• live or are stranded in the targeted activation zone
• have suffered hardship as a result of the event
• are unable to meet your immediate essential needs for food, clothing, medical supplies or temporary accommodation.

For more information on Emergency Hardship Assistance grants please visit: https://www.qld.gov.au/community/disasters-emergencies/disasters/money-finance/types-grants/emergency-hardship-assist  

“Essential services safety and reconnection grants have also been activated for eligible households in Noosa, Gympie and the Fraser Coast and Sunshine Coast,” Mr O’Brien said.

“This grant assists people who are uninsured, or unable to claim insurance, to help them reconnect essential services that were damaged by a disaster.”

There are two parts to the Essential Services and Safety Reconnection 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).

 To be eligible, you must meet all of the following criteria:

• live in a disaster-affected area where this grant is activated
• be the owner or mortgagee of the home
• be uninsured or unable to claim insurance to replace or repair your essential service/s
• qualify under the income test.

For more information on Essential Services and Safety Reconnection assistance please visit https://www.qld.gov.au/community/disasters-emergencies/disasters/money-finance/types-grants/essential-serv-safety-reconnect 

“The Australian and Queensland Governments will continue to work together, and with local councils and communities, to identify what additional assistance is required as the clean-up continues and we move into the recovery phase.”

DRFA personal hardship assistance has also been made available for flood-impacted residents in the local government areas of Brisbane, Logan Ipswich, Lockyer Valley, Moreton Bay, North Burnett and Somerset.

For information on Personal Hardship Assistance and Essential Services Hardship Assistance, contact the Community Recovery Hotline 1800 173 349 or visit www.qld.gov.au/community/disasters-emergencies.

Information on disaster assistance can be found on the Queensland Reconstruction Authority’s website at www.qra.qld.gov.au