Residents in the north-east of New South Wales who have been severely affected by ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred will receive emergency financial assistance as part of a jointly funded relief package.
The support package will provide financial aid of $180 for individuals and up to $900 per family to help cover essential costs, including food, clothing, medicines, and emergency accommodation.
The Personal Hardship Assistance Grant is one of several measures aimed at supporting affected communities in their recovery. To be eligible for the grant, individuals must reside in one of the declared affected Local Government Areas, which include Armidale, Ballina, Bellingen, Byron, Clarence Valley, Coffs Harbour, Dungog, Glen Innes Severn, Kempsey, Kyogle, Lismore, Lord Howe Island, MidCoast, Nambucca Valley, Port Macquarie-Hastings, Richmond Valley, Tenterfield, and Tweed.
Additionally, applicants must have either been subject to evacuation orders (Category Red emergency warning) or experienced power outages lasting more than 48 hours. They must also demonstrate financial hardship resulting from the disaster, making them unable to meet immediate needs.
Applications for assistance will open on Wednesday, 12 March, and remain available until Monday, 8 April 2025.
In addition to the financial assistance grants, the Albanese Government has activated the Disaster Recovery Allowance for communities directly affected by the cyclone. This allowance provides up to 13 weeks of income support for eligible workers and sole traders who have experienced a loss of income due to the disaster, depending on their personal circumstances.
For more details on the Disaster Recovery Allowance, visit the Services Australia website at servicesaustralia.gov.au/natural-disaster-support.
Further information on available support measures can be found at www.nsw.gov.au/cyclonealfredrecovery.
