- Published:
- Friday 23 September 2016
Minister for Justice Michael Keenan and Acting Victorian Minister for Emergency Services Lisa Neville today announced that additional disaster assistance has been activated for Bendigo, Melton, and Warrnambool City Councils in response to the September flooding.
Minister Keenan said assistance is being provided through the jointly-funded Commonwealth-State Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA).
“Both the Australian and Victorian governments are committed to working together to support flood affected communities across the state,” Mr Keenan said.
“As heavy rainfall and flooding impacts local communities across Victoria, we are providing additional assistance to help with their recovery efforts.”
As well as funding for the councils, relief payments are also available to individuals affected by the floods within the Bendigo, Melton, and Warrnambool City Council areas.
Disaster assistance has now been activated for a total of 25 councils across Victoria affected by the floods.
The activation of NDRRA allows councils and state government agencies to apply for funding to help cover counter disaster operations such as sandbagging and construction of temporary levees, and the restoration of essential public assets such as roads and stormwater infrastructure.
Minister Neville said NDRRA assistance will be extended to other areas as required.
“Assistance is available to support people who are suffering personal hardship, as well as funding for local councils to help with the cost of cleaning up and restoring damaged essential public assets,” Ms Neville said.
“Anyone who has been affected by the flooding should call the Victorian Emergency Recovery Information Line on 1300 799 232 for assistance.”
The 25 local government areas receiving NDRRA assistance are: Ararat, Ballarat, Bendigo, Buloke, Central Goldfields, Colac Otway, Corangamite, Glenelg, Golden Plains, Hepburn, Horsham, Loddon, Macedon Ranges, Melton, Mitchell, Moorabool, Mount Alexander, Moyne, Northern Grampians, Pyrenees, Southern Grampians, Surf Coast, Warrnambool, West Wimmera and Yarriambiack.
As well as the activation of funding for local councils, individual support is being provided in the form of emergency relief payments to all eligible residents in all flood affected areas.
Re-establishment grants of up to $32,500 per household are also available to eligible individuals in the flood affected Southern Grampians and Buloke Shire regions.
Information regarding disaster assistance available can be found on the Vic Emergency website at www.emergency.vic.gov.au/relief or the Australian Government’s Disaster Assist website at www.disasterassist.gov.au