New South Wales Floods (26 December 2010 - January 2011)
Australian Government expenditure for New South Wales floods as at midnight 27 January 2012.
Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment
- Claims granted – 11,517
- Amount paid - $13,479,800
Disaster Income Recovery Subsidy
- Claims granted – 1,169
- Amount paid - $1,702,480
Ex-gratia payments to New Zealanders
Please refer to the ex gratia payment for New Zealanders affected by recent disasters page for cumulative figures on the ex-gratia payments.
- Disaster Income Recovery Subsidy (DIRS)
- Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment
- Ex gratia payment for New Zealanders affected by recent flooding
- Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA)
Disaster Income Recovery Subsidy (DIRS)
The DIRS provided assistance to employees, small business persons and farmers who lost income as a result of the flooding that commenced on 29 November 2010 and continued through December 2010, January 2011 and, February 2011. This flooding affected Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania. The Subsidy provides fortnightly payments equivalent to the maximum rate of Newstart allowance depending on the person's circumstances.
The Disaster Income Recovery Subsidy was available to Australian residents or eligible foreign nationals who are older than 16. 'Eligible foreign nationals' include people who are on permanent visas (but who have not yet met the residency waiting period) and people who are on temporary skilled visas or temporary family visas. Disaster Income Recovery Subsidy was not available to those already receiving another income support payment or pension such as Age Pension, Newstart Allowance, Service Pension or Exceptional Circumstances Relief Payment. The Disaster Income Recovery Subsidy was payable for a period of up to 13 weeks.
The Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment (AGDRP)
The AGDRP was provided to eligible people who have been affected between 10 and 31 January 2011 by flooding due to floodwaters flowing down from Queensland into NSW and affects local government areas (LGAs) that are natural disaster declared under the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements. The LGAs were Armidale Dumaresq, Clarence Valley, Central Darling, Glenn Innes Severn, Gunnedah, Guyra, Gwydir, Inverell, Liverpool Plains, Moree Plains, Narrabri, Tamworth Regional, Tenterfield, Bourke, Brewarrina, Cobar and Walgett.
Ex Gratia Payment For New Zealanders Affected By Recent Flooding
An ex gratia payment was provided to eligible New Zealand ‘non protected’ Special Category Visa (SCV) holders who have been affected by recent flooding in Queensland, New South Wales, Western Australia and Victoria and those who have been affected by Bushfires in Western Australia. This applies to SCV holders in eligible disaster declared local government areas.
The payment is to provide immediate, one-off financial assistance to eligible New Zealanders adversely affected by the disaster and was paid at the rate of $1,000 per eligible adult and $400 per child.
Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA)
This assistance is provided through the joint Australian and State Government's and applies to the natural disaster declared areas in each state.
NDRRA assistance was made available for the following 13 local government areas:
Armidale Dumaresq, Ballina, Bellingen, Byron, Clarence Valley, Glenn Innes Severn, Guyra, Inverell, Kyogle, Lismore, Richmond Valley, Tenterfield Shire and Tweed.
NDRRA assistance includes:
- personal hardship and distress assistance
- certain counter disaster operations
- restoration of essential public assets
- concessional loans of up to $130,000 for small businesses and primary producers
- concessional loans of up to $25,000 for voluntary, non-profit organisations
- transport freight subsidies of up to $15,000 to assist primary producers for the carriage of livestock and fodder, and
- clean up and recovery grants of up to $15,000 for small businesses and primary producers.
Individuals suffering from personal hardship as a result of the flooding may be eligible for emergency assistance.