$20k grants for NSW flood residents

The NSW government’s Back Home Grant will be available to homes that are unable to claim insurance or natural disaster relief, and have been assessed as damaged, destroyed or uninhabitable by the SES.

Flood-impacted residents across the Hawkesbury, Ballina, Byron, Clarence Valley, Kyogle, Lismore, Richmond Valley and Tweed local government areas will have access to a maximum of $20,000 in grants “in the coming weeks”.

Up to $15,000 will be available to eligible owner-occupiers and landlords through the Back Home Grant program, to repair and refit damaged homes, with an additional payment of up to $5,000 per property for essential household items (only available to renters and owner/occupiers).

While visiting Lismore, NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said the grants would help many residents with damaged dwellings get back to their homes sooner.

“For those people who have properties or homes that can be repaired, this grant can be the cash that they need to make urgent repairs such as fixing roofs, making properties watertight, connecting back to electricity and replacing furniture and fridges,” Mr Perrottet said.

“Our overriding priority is to get people into safe housing, and we are looking at every possible avenue to do that.”

Deputy Premier Paul Toole said the government had “lifted red tape” to ensure money is delivered to residents as “quickly as possible”.

The funds can go towards any clean-up costs to restore housing to a habitable condition, such as “inspection and safe reconnection of utilities”, replacement of essential household goods, electricials, and tools, moving to a new property and structural building repairs.

The Back Home Grants are in addition to a series of other clean-up programs and work underway, such as the waiving of waste levies for flood-affected local government areas and free structural assessments being conducted under the Property Assessment and Demolition (PAD) program.

‘Not his problem’: Prime Minister Scott Morrison scolded for flood response

Meanwhile, the Queensland government has criticised the federal government for its “insult” to thousands of Queensland flood victims, after Prime Minister Scott Morrison rejected a request to jointly fund a $741 million flood recovery package.

Acting Premier Cameron Dick said Mr Morrison responded, saying “it’s not his problem” and demonstrated that the government will not take responsibility leaving Queensland flood victims to pay the price.

“Every Queenslander needs to know that this letter shows that Scott Morrison does not care about flood victims who need help from all levels of Government,” Mr Cameron said.

“It doesn’t matter if your home floods two, three or four times over, Scott Morrison wants no part in creating an ongoing solution.

“It is clear the Prime Minister has made a political calculation.

“He has decided he doesn’t need flood victims to vote for him – so he has nothing to offer them.”

Mr Dick said that it wasn’t just South-East Queensland victims who have been rejected by the Prime Minister.

“Nearly a decade after ex-Tropical Cyclone Oswald devastated Bundaberg, the Prime Minister is still refusing to support the Bundaberg Flood Levee,” the acting Premier said.

The Queensland government had announced a $771 million flood relief package, which included grants of up to $50,000 to retrofit 5,500 flood-affected homes, grants of up to $100,000 to raise 1,000 homes, and $350 million was set aside to buy back up to 500 homes.

[Related: Buy-back scheme set to help Qld flood victims]