Disaster assistance for the Clarence Valley region in NSW affected by bushfires

Disaster assistance has been extended to the Clarence Valley Local Government Area (LGA) following severe bushfires on 13 October 2023 in New South Wales. 

Assistance is being provided through the jointly funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) and is also available for people impacted by bushfires in the Inverell, Kempsey, Kyogle, Mid-Coast, Mid-Western, Port Macquarie Hastings and Tenterfield LGAs.  

The assistance available includes:  

• Help for eligible people whose homes or belongings have been damaged, including assistance for people to meet immediate needs, grants to replace essential household items, and grants for essential structural repairs to homes.  

• Support for affected local councils to help with the costs of cleaning up and restoring damaged essential public assets.  

• Concessional interest rate loans for small businesses, primary producers, sporting and recreation clubs, and non-profit organisations to repair or replace damaged or destroyed property.  

• Freight subsidies for primary producers to help transport livestock and fodder.  

Federal Minister for Emergency Management Murray Watt said the bushfires have caused significant damage across the region. 

“This is a really intense time for people affected by these dangerous fires, and I want to recognise the collective effort from agencies across all levels of government and thank those heroes working to get these fires under control,” Minister Watt said. 

“We continue to work alongside the NSW Government to collect information and fully understand the impact of this disaster.” 

Further information on disaster assistance can be found on the NSW Reconstruction Authority’s website.