A $15 million Community Recovery Support Fund, jointly funded by the Albanese and Minns governments, is now available to 15 NSW councils and their communities following the impacts of the Cyclone Alfred weather event.
Byron, Ballina, Tweed, Lismore, Kyogle and Richmond Valley local government areas areas (LGAs) are among the 15 LGAs that can apply for assistance.
‘Northern NSW residents, and their neighbours to the north, are on high alert watching Tropical Cyclone Alfred approach,’ said Prime Minster Anthony Albanese.
‘We are providing assistance now, but also have this future support on standby, ready to roll should recovery and cleanup work be needed in the immediate aftermath.
‘Having this support ready to go means, if needed, essential work can begin and people’s lives can begin to return to normal as soon as possible.’
Activated councils will have up to $1 million in funding made available once impacts are known. This will provide proactive support for communities to undertake essential immediate clean up and restoration activities for important community assets such as pre-schools, senior citizen centres, libraries and community halls.
‘It’s a challenging time for communities in the Northern Rivers, who are experiencing the impacts of Tropical Cyclone Alfred,’ said Minister for Emergency Management Jenny McAllister.
‘Having grown up in the Northern Rivers, I know these communities well. I am acutely aware of how worrying this event will be for local people.
‘I’ve been incredibly grateful for the work of the local mayors, Councils and community leaders, supporting their communities.’
Support has been made available under the joint Commonwealth-state Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).
The NSW government is coordinating a multi-agency response to the cyclone, which has been forecast to significantly impact Northern NSW and Southern Queensland.
‘This is a pre-emptive step to help local councils quickly respond to this disaster,’ said NSW Premier Chris Minns.
Councils are helping their communities prepare for the onslaught, and this will help them in the aftermath.
‘This is just one early part of the support for the regions that get impacted by this disaster.’
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