Disaster Recovery Allowance
The Disaster Recovery Allowance (DRA) provides income support payments to employees, primary producers and sole traders who can demonstrate they have experienced a loss of income as a direct result of the storms and floods.
DRA provides fortnightly payments for up to 13 weeks up to the applicable rate of JobSeeker Payment or Youth Allowance, depending on the person's circumstances.
DRA is available to Australian residents who are 16 years and older.
DRA is not available to those already receiving another income support payment or pension such as the Age Pension, JobSeeker Payment or Service Pension.
You have until 22 June 2022 to lodge a claim for DRA in the fifty-three (53) local government areas of: Bathurst, Bega Valley, Blayney, Blue Mountains, Bogan, Bourke, Brewarrina, Broken Hill, Cabonne, Cobar, Coonamble, Cootamundra-Gundagai, Cowra, Dubbo, Eurobodalla, Forbes, Gilgandra, Glen Innes Severn, Goulburn-Mulwaree, Greater Hume, Gunnedah, Gwydir, Inverell, Kyogle, Lachlan, Lithgow, Liverpool Plains, Lockhart, Mid-Western, Moree Plains, Muswellbrook, Narrabri, Narromine, Oberon, Orange, Parkes, Port Macquarie-Hastings, Queanbeyan-Palerang, Richmond Valley, Shoalhaven, Singleton, Snowy Monaro, Snowy Valleys, Tamworth, Tenterfield, Upper Hunter, Walcha, Walgett, Warren, Warrumbungle, Weddin and Wentworth, and the Unincorporated Area.
For eligibility information, visit the Services Australia website or contact the Australian Government Information Hotline on 180 22 66 for claims for assistance.
New Zealand disaster recovery allowance
The New Zealand disaster recovery allowance is available to eligible New Zealand 'non-protected' special category visa (SCV) (subclass 444) holders who can demonstrate they have experienced a loss of income as a direct result of the storms and floods.
The disaster recovery allowance provides fortnightly payments for up to 13 weeks up to the applicable rate of JobSeeker Payment or Youth Allowance, depending on the person's circumstances.
The allowance is available to SCV holders who are 16 years and older.
You have until 22 June 2022 to lodge a claim for the New Zealand disaster recovery allowance in the fifty-three (53) local government areas of: Bathurst, Bega Valley, Blayney, Blue Mountains, Bogan, Bourke, Brewarrina, Broken Hill, Cabonne, Cobar, Coonamble, Cootamundra-Gundagai, Cowra, Dubbo, Eurobodalla, Forbes, Gilgandra, Glen Innes Severn, Goulburn-Mulwaree, Greater Hume, Gunnedah, Gwydir, Inverell, Kyogle, Lachlan, Lithgow, Liverpool Plains, Lockhart, Mid-Western, Moree Plains, Muswellbrook, Narrabri, Narromine, Oberon, Orange, Parkes, Port Macquarie-Hastings, Queanbeyan-Palerang, Richmond Valley, Shoalhaven, Singleton, Snowy Monaro, Snowy Valleys, Tamworth, Tenterfield, Upper Hunter, Walcha, Walgett, Warren, Warrumbungle, Weddin and Wentworth, and the Unincorporated Area.
For eligibility information, visit the Services Australia website or contact the Australian Government Information Hotline on 180 22 66 for claims for assistance.
Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements
The joint Australian, state and territory governments' Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) provide a range of financial assistance to the natural disaster-declared areas in each state or territory. For the Severe Weather and Flooding from 9 November 2021, the available assistance measures include:
- Personal hardship and distress assistance
- Counter disaster operations
- Restoration of essential public assets
- Concessional interest rate loans for small businesses, primary producers and non-profit organisations who have suffered direct damage
- Freight subsidies for primary producers
- Grants for non-profit organisations.
For information on available recovery assistance, visit the
Resilience NSW and
Service NSW websites.
For further information on recovery arrangements, visit the
Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements page.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade will replace passports that have been lost or damaged in declared natural disasters free of charge, visit the
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website.
Recovery grants
Recovery grants of up to $50,000 are available for eligible primary producers, small businesses and not-for-profit organisatons.
These grants are available in the sixty-two (62) local government areas of: Balranald, Bathurst, Bega Valley, Berrigan, Bland, Blayney, Blue Mountains, Bogan, Bourke, Brewarrina, Broken Hill, Cabonne, Central Darling, Cobar, Coonamble, Cootamundra-Gundagai, Cowra, Dubbo, Eurobodalla, Federation, Forbes, Gilgandra, Glen Innes Severn, Goulburn-Mulwaree, Greater Hume, Gunnedah, Gwydir, Hilltops, Inverell, Kyogle, Lachlan, Lismore, Lithgow, Liverpool Plains, Lockhart, Mid-Western, Moree Plains, Muswellbrook, Narrabri, Narromine, Oberon, Orange, Parkes, Port Macquarie-Hastings, Queanbeyan-Palerang, Richmond Valley, Shoalhaven, Singleton, Snowy Monaro, Snowy Valleys, Tamworth, Tenterfield, Upper Hunter, Upper Lachlan, Walcha, Walgett, Warren, Warrumbungle, Weddin, Wentworth, Yass Valley and the Unincorporated Area.
For information on available recovery assistance for primary producers, visit the NSW Rural Assistance Authority website.
For information on available recovery assistance for small business, visit the Service NSW website.
