Disaster funding available following NSW bushfires

Disaster assistance is now available for councils and residents in Bathurst, Bogan, Brewarrina, Coonamble, Dubbo, Mid-Western, Walgett and Warren following severe bushfires earlier this month. 

Assistance is being provided through the jointly funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA). 

Federal Minister for Emergency Management, Murray Watt, said the bushfires across Central and Central West NSW have impacted more than 40,000 hectares of mostly isolated farmland, destroyed properties and hundreds of livestock. 

New South Wales Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience, Steph Cooke, said the assistance will support councils, property owners, farmers and primary producers to clean-up and recover from the bushfires. 

“Recent bushfires have had a devastating impact on a number of communities across New South Wales, which is why it is so important that we help residents get their lives back on track and councils make crucial repairs to public assets,” Minister Cooke said. 

“The NSW and Australian governments are working together to assist these eight council areas through the recovery process, with additional areas expected to be disaster declared shortly following more recent fires.” 

Assistance available under the DRFA may include: 

• Help for eligible people whose homes or belongings have been damaged (eligibility criteria apply).
• Freight subsidies for primary producers.
• Concessional interest rate loans for small businesses, primary producers, and non-profit organisations.
• Support for affected local councils to help with the costs of cleaning up and restoring damaged essential public assets.

For information on personal hardship and distress assistance, contact Service NSW on 13 77 88 or visit www.nsw.gov.au