Like its northern neighbour, New South Wales has been overwhelmed by torrential rains with extreme flooding across the state in the last few weeks. From northern regional areas to the city and surrounding suburbs, hundreds of thousands of people have been severely impacted by this disaster.

To provide some assistance, both our federal and state governments have now announced a range of measures to help both residents and businesses affected by floods in NSW. There are both lump sum payments and some ongoing financial support available to those that are eligible.

 

state support

The NSW Government is supporting residents, businesses and other organisations in Local Government Areas [LGAs] that have been impacted by a natural disaster. The current listing of impacted LGAs can be found here.

 

Storm and Flood Disaster Recovery Small Business Grant

If you are a small business or a not-for-profit [NFP] organisation impacted by the storms and floods in NSW in February and March 2022 you may be eligible for a grant of up to $50,000. This grant is to help pay for the clean-up and reinstatement costs for small businesses and NFPs in a defined disaster area.

examples of costs include, but are not limited to:

  • Payment for tradespeople to conduct safety inspections
  • Equipment and materials for required for cleaning up
  • Removal and disposal of debris, damaged materials, or damaged stock
  • Repairing premises and internal fittings
  • Leasing temporary premises

to be eligible you must:

  • Have suffered direct damage – a direct and material impact of flooding on business assets or equipment
  • Be primarily responsible for the costs you are claiming [e.g. not claimable under insurance or to be paid by another organisation]
  • Intend to re-establish your business or NFP within the same area
  • If you are a small business:
    • Have a current ABN
    • Been carrying on the small business at the time of floods in the defined disaster area
  • If you are an NFP:
    • Be registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission [ACNC] or an equivalent state regulatory body and have held that registration at the time of the eligible disaster
  • If you are a Sole Trader:
    • immediately before the eligible disaster, you derived a majority of your income from the business, and
    • the majority of your income would have come from the business again if not for the eligible disaster.

you will need to supply evidence for your claim, which will vary based on how much you are claiming: 

For claims over $15,000 evidence will be required including:

  • valid tax invoices
  • evidence of payment [bank transfer/bank statement]
  • photographic evidence of the direct damage

If you are claiming up to $15,000 you need to provide:

  • a list of the direct damage and costs
  • quotes for replacements, works or service
  • photographic evidence of the direct damage

If you are in a highly impacted area and claiming less than $15,000 you only need to supply a list of costs and damage and photographic evidence

Applications are to be made online via the Service NSW Website here.

 

Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements

farmers and primary producers

For primary produced impacted by storms and floods in NSW there is an immediate $15,000 grant available as part of the Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements. This grant can be used to assist with the immediate clean-up and recovery costs incurred after the floods and storms, with an additional $60,000 that can be applied for to assist with more extensive repairs.

To apply please contact your local Rural Financial Counselling Service.

Disaster Relief Grant for individuals

If your home or essential household contents were damaged or destroyed by a natural disaster you may be eligible for the disaster relief grant.

You must apply within 4 months of the disaster, have no insurance for the damaged be a low-income earner.

To apply phone 13 77 88 and ask about the Disaster Relief Grant administered by Resilience NSW. They will send you an application form and fact sheet.

More information can be found here.

 

other grants

There is further support for other organisations which can be found here:

 

federal support

The Federal Government has announced the following support measures.

 

Disaster Recovery Allowance [DRA]

payments to supplement lost income

If you have lost revenue due to the recent storms and floods you may be eligible for the DRA.

The DRA is a fortnightly payment that will last for up to 13 weeks and you have until 3 September 2022 to make a claim.

To be eligible you must work or live in an LGA that has been declared as a disaster area. You can find the list of LGAs here.

You must also:

  • Be 16 years or older at the time of the floods and considered independent
  • Be an Australian resident or hold an eligible visa
  • Lost income as a direct result of the storms and floods
  • Earn less than the average Australian weekly income in the weeks after you experience the income loss. The government is using the amount of $1,737.10 as the benchmark for average weekly income.
  • Not be receiving certain other federal payments listed here

If you are eligible, you will receive the maximum equivalent rate of JobSeeker Payment or Youth Allowance depending on your personal circumstances. You will also be asked to provide evidence of your loss of income.

Payments are being made via Centrelink and the easiest way to claim these payments is online using your myGov account. Detailed instructions can be found here.

 

Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment [AGDRP]

lump sum payments

The federal government is also supporting people impacted persons from specific LGAs through lump sum payments under the AGDRP. The list of impacted LGAS for the AGDRP can be found here.

To receive the payment you, or a dependent child must be an Australian resident or eligible visa holder and your principal place of residence must be in an eligible LGA.

You can only claim the payment if you were seriously affected by the storms and floods, with the examples provided including:

  • Being seriously injured
  • Having an immediate family member who has died or is missing
  • Suffering from major damage to your home

You may need to supply evidence of these events.

If you are eligible you will receive:

  • $1,000 per adult
  • $400 for each child younger than 16

Eligible permanent residents of Clarence Valley, Lismore and Richmond Valley LGAs will automatically receive two additional payments after receiving their first AGDRP:

  • Adults will receive an additional $2,000
  • Children will receive an additional $800
  • They will be paid in two separate instalments from 15th March 2022

These payments are also being made via Centrelink and the easiest way to claim these payments is online using your myGov account. Detailed instructions can be found here.

 

ATO support

If you are struggling to meet your upcoming tax, PAYG and BAS obligations, the ATO has a range of measures to support you where possible, please reach out to us to discuss your options.

 

we’re here to help!

If you are in New South Wales and need assistance navigating your eligibility for any of the flood assistance grants, please give us a call on 1300 BDEPOT or email us sydney@businessdepot.com.au.