More flood affected Queenslanders eligible for disaster assistance

More residents affected by Queensland’s continuing flood emergency can now access disaster assistance payments of $180 and up to $900 for families of five or more to cover essentials like food, clothing, and medicine.

Assistance payments are now available to more residents of Bundaberg and Douglas, and extended for flood-affected residents of Carpentaria, Doomadgee, and McKinlay, parts of Gladstone, and Chinchilla in the Western Downs.

Measures for uninsured, low-income residents also include grants up to $80,000 to restore damaged houses to safe living conditions, as well as funds to replace whitegoods and reconnect essential services.

In addition, councils in Bulloo, Lockhart River, and Western Downs can now recoup the costs of their counter disaster operations and the reconstruction of essential public assets under the DRFA.

All assistance measures are delivered under the joint Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA), to help communities recover from the widespread devastation.

Fifty-eight local government areas are now receiving DRFA assistance in response to the rain and associated flooding across most of Queensland since Christmas Eve last year.

Newly eligible localities for personal hardship assistance in Bundaberg include Avoca, Branyan, Bungadoo, Pine Creek, Morganville and South Kolan. 

In Douglas, the localities of Bloomfield, Dagmar, Forest Creek, Kimberley, Noah and Stewart Creek Valley have been activated for assistance. 

In Gladstone, flood-affected residents in Agnes Water, Baffle Creek, Boyne Valley, Captain Creek, Deepwater, Lowmead, Oyster Creek, Rosedale, Rules Beach, Turkey Beach are eligible to apply for personal hardship assistance.

For more information on eligibility, visit www.disaster.qld.gov.au or call the Queensland Community Recovery Hotline on 1800 173 349.