More financial aid extended to cyclone impacted south-east Queenslanders

Personal Hardship Assistance is now available for more south-east Queensland residents impacted by Tropical Cyclone Alfred.

As rain, winds and floodwaters continue to batter the region, financial support from the Australian and Queensland Governments has been extended to two additional council areas.

Eligible residents in targeted localities across impacted communities can now apply for funding through the Personal Hardship Assistance Scheme, an initiative under the joint Commonwealth-state Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).

This latest extension covers targeted localities of Ipswich, Lockyer Valley, Scenic Rim and Somerset, and the entire Toowoomba council area, while four new Fraser Coast localities have also been activated, in addition to the rest of the Brisbane LGA.

Activated localities include:

Brisbane: entire LGA.

Fraser Coast: Burrum Heads,Craignish, Dundowran, Dundowran Beach.

Ipswich: Amberley, Bellbird Park, Booval, Brassall, Bundamba, Calvert, Churchill, Chuwar, Ebenezer, Goodna, Grandchester, Jeebropilly, Karalee, Lanefield, Leichhardt, Marburg, North Booval, One Mile, Purga, Raceview, Ripley, Rosewood, South Ripley, Springfield Lakes, Thagoona, Tivoli, Walloon, West Ipswich, Willowbank, Yamanto.

Lockyer Valley: College View, Crowley Vale, Forest Hill, Glencore Grove, Grantham, Laidley, Laidley Creek West, Laidley Heights, Laidley North, Laidley South, Mulgowie, Plainland, Regency Downs.

Somerset: Brightview, Dundas, Glamorgan Vale, Royston.

Toowoomba: entire LGA.

Scenic Rim: Allenview, Barney View, Beechmont, Benobble, Biddaddaba, Binna Burra, Boyland, Bromelton, Canungra, Ferny Glen, Flying Fox, Illinbah, Mount Barney, Mount Lindesay, O'Reilly, Palen Creek, Rathdowney, Running Creek, Sarabah, Tamborine, Tamborine Mountain, Witheren, Wonglepong, Wyaralong.

Emergency Hardship Assistance Grants of $180 for individuals, up to $900 for a family of five or more are available to cover essentials like food, clothing and medicine.

Financial assistance can also be accessed by residents who have damaged whitegoods and household contents like bed linen, and who have lost power for five or more consecutive days.

Uninsured residents may be entitled to income-tested grants to reconnect damaged services, or to carry out structural repairs on their home to make it safe and habitable.

This announcement extends the list of SEQ communities activated for Personal Hardship Assistance to seven, also including the LGAs of Gold Coast, Fraser Coast, Logan, Moreton Bay, and Redland.

Eligible residents can apply via www.qld.gov.au/disasterhelp or by calling the Queensland Community Recovery Hotline on 1800 173 349.

The Queensland Reconstruction Authority continues to work closely with councils and other support agencies, activating further DRFA assistance measures as required.