Disaster Recovery Payment
The Disaster Recovery Payment (DRP) provides one-off financial assistance to eligible Australians adversely affected by the South Australia Pinery Bushfire in the local government areas of Light and Mallala in the Barossa Region, as well as the local government areas of Clare and Gilbert Valleys and Wakefield, in the Yorke and Mid North Region of South Australia.
The DRP rate is $1000 per eligible adult and $400 per eligible child. Claims for this payment can be lodged with the
Department of Human Services (Centrelink) for a period up to 6 months.
DRP is available for people who have been seriously injured, who have lost their homes or whose homes have been directly damaged or the immediate family members of a person who has died, as a direct result of the South Australia Pinery Bushfire.
You have until 28 May 2016 to lodge a claim for DRP in the Barossa and Yorke and Mid North Regions.
For more information on eligibility, visit the
Department of Human Services (Centrelink) website or contact the Australian Government Information Hotline on 180 22 66 for claims for assistance.
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 South Australia Pinery Bushfire. DRA has been made available to individuals in the local government areas of Light and Mallala in the Barossa Region, as well as the local government areas of Clare and Gilbert Valleys and Wakefield, in the Yorke and Mid North Region of South Australia.
DRA provides fortnightly payments for up to 13 weeks equivalent to the applicable rate of Newstart or Youth Allowance, depending on the person's circumstances.
DRA is available to Australian residents who are sixteen years of age or older.
DRA is not available to those already receiving another income support payment or pension such as the Age Pension, Newstart Allowance or Service Pension.
You have until 28 May 2016 to lodge a claim for DRA in the Barossa and Yorke and Mid North Regions.
For more information on eligibility, visit the
Department of Human Services (Centrelink) website or contact the Australian Government Information Hotline on 180 22 66 for claims for assistance.
Ex-gratia disaster assistance for New Zealand non-protected special category visa holders
New Zealand ex-gratia disaster payment
An ex-gratia payment is being provided to eligible New Zealand 'non-protected' special category visa (SCV) (subclass 444) holders who have been adversely affected by the South Australia Pinery Bushfire. This applies to SCV holders in the eligible disaster-declared local government areas of Light and Mallala in the Barossa Region, as well as the local government areas of Clare and Gilbert Valleys and Wakefield, in the Yorke and Mid North Region of South Australia.
The payment rate is $1000 per eligible adult and $400 per eligible child. Claims for this payment can be lodged with the
Department of Human Services (Centrelink) for a period of six months.
The payment is available for SCV holders who have been seriously injured, who have lost their homes or whose homes have been directly damaged, or the immediate family members of a person who has died, as a direct result of the South Australia Pinery Bushfire.
You have until 28 May 2016 to lodge a claim for the ex-gratia disaster payment in the Barossa and Yorke and Mid North Regions.
For eligibility information, visit the
Department of Human Services (Centrelink) website or contact the Australian Government Information Hotline on 180 22 66 for claims for assistance.
New Zealand ex-gratia income support allowance
An ex-gratia income support allowance is available to eligible New Zealand 'non-protected' SCV (subclass 444) holders who can demonstrate they have experienced a loss of income as a direct result of the South Australia Pinery Bushfire. The allowance has been made available to individuals in the local government areas of Light and Mallala in the Barossa Region, as well as the local government areas of Clare and Gilbert Valleys and Wakefield, in the Yorke and Mid North Region of South Australia.
You have until 28 May 2016 to lodge a claim for the ex-gratia income support allowance in the Barossa and Yorke and Mid North Regions.
The income support allowance provides fortnightly payments for up to 13 weeks equivalent to the applicable rate of Newstart or Youth Allowance, depending on the person's circumstances.
The allowance is available to SCV holders who are sixteen years of age or older.
For more information on eligibility, visit the
Department of Human Services (Centrelink) website or contact the Australian Government Information Hotline on 180 22 66 for claims for assistance.
Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements
The joint Australian, state and territory governments' Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA) provide a range of financial assistance to the natural disaster-declared areas in each state or territory.
For the bushfire which occurred on 25 November 2015, the available assistance measures include:
- personal hardship and distress assistance
- personal and financial counselling
- counter disaster operations
- restoration of essential public assets
in the affected local government areas of:
- Mallala
- Light
- Clare and Gilbert Valleys
- Wakefield
In addition to these assistance measures, a Community Recovery Fund has also been made available under Category C of the NDRRA.
Recovery grants of up to $10,000 are also available for eligible primary producers in the local government areas of Clare and Gilbert Valleys, Light, Mallala and Wakefield. To apply for a recovery grant, primary producers can contact the Primary Industries and Regions South Australia (PIRSA) on 1800 182 235 or visit the
PIRSA website.
For information on available recovery assistance, visit the Government of South Australia website.
For further information on recovery arrangements, visit the
Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements page.
