NSW Natural Disaster Assistance Schemes

Personal Hardship and Distress Assistance

Community Services (formerly DoCS) can provide disaster relief grants to eligible individuals and families whose homes and essential household items have been destroyed or damaged by a natural disaster. People with limited financial resources and no insurance may be eligible for assistance for essential household items and structural repairs to the home.

Inquiries about the disaster relief grants and the eligibility criteria may be made by contacting Community Services, Disaster Welfare Services on 1800 018 444.

Primary Producers - Loans

Loans of up to $130,000 are available (subject to certain eligibility criteria), at a concessional interest rate of 2.77 per cent, for those in urgent need. These loans may be used to meet carry-on requirements and the replacement and repair of damage not covered by insurance. The NSW Rural Assistance Authority (now part of Industry and Investment NSW) administers this scheme. Inquiries should be directed to the Authority on 1800 678 593.

Primary Producers- Transport Subsidies

Transport freight subsidies of up to 50 per cent on the carriage of livestock and fodder are available to help primary producers. The maximum subsidy available is $15,000 per annum. Inquiries should be made to the nearest Industry and Investment NSW- Primary Industries office (formerly Department of Primary Industries). The public inquiry number is 1800 814 647.

Small Businesses

Loans of up to $130,000 are available at a concessional rate of 2.77 per cent to small businesses affected by disasters and which meet certain eligibility criteria. This finance is available to those unable to obtain assistance through normal channels.

The NSW Rural Assistance Authority (now part of Industry and Investment NSW) administer this scheme. Inquiries should be directed to the Authority on 1800 678 593.

Assistance for Councils

Grants are available to meet the additional costs of emergency work to restore essential services, including the provision of emergency levee banks, which are in excess of normal operations.

Grants are available to meet 100 per cent of eligible emergency works and 75 per cent of eligible restorations works up to $116,000 with 100 per cent cost recovery beyond that level. The Department of Services, Technology and Administration (formerly Department of Commerce) administers this assistance. The contact person is Neil Birks 02 9372 8871.

Grants are available to help Councils to permanently restore roads and bridges to predisaster standards. These grants meet 75 per cent of the first $116,000 expenditure and 100 per cent beyond that level. This assistance is administered by the Roads and Traffic Authority. The contact person is Richard Woodburn on 02 8588 5660.

Trustees of Parks and Reserves

Provided the facilities concerned constitute "public assets", grants may be made available to those parties (e.g. trustees) responsible for managing Crown Land, parks and reserves, who do not have the financial capacity to meet restoration costs from their own resources.

The Department of Lands administers this scheme. The contact person is Helen Muldoon on 02 8258 7424.

Sporting Clubs

A special scheme is available to assist sporting clubs in meeting the costs of restoration of essential club facilities that have been damaged or destroyed. The assistance is made available to those clubs which do not have the financial capacity to meet restoration costs from their own resources, but which have the capacity to repay any loan that may be granted.

Under these arrangements the maximum assistance available is $12,000, including a grant of up to $2,000 and the balance by way of repayable advance with interest at the rate of 2.77 per cent per annum. Treasury administers this scheme. The contact person is Brian Lin on 02 9228 5198.

Churches and Voluntary Non-profit Organisations

Loan assistance is available to churches and voluntary non-profit organisations for the restoration of essential facilities that have been damaged or destroyed. Eligible groups will usually perform a service for the community or environment and are funded by grants or donations.

Non-profit organisations that perform a commercial function, charge a fee for a service or represent commercial or industrial groups, e.g. industry bodies are not eligible for assistance. These organisations can recover costs from their members or through fees. As with other schemes, assistance is only available to those organisations which do not have the financial capacity to meet restorations costs from their own resources, insurance and are unable to obtain assistance through normal channels.

Advances are subject to a maximum of $25,000 at 2.77 per cent interest per annum.

Motor Vehicle Stamp Duty Relief

Motorists whose cars have been written off as a result of a natural disaster may be eligible for a stamp duty refund on their replacement vehicle. Refunds are made where the written off vehicle was comprehensively insured and the insurance does not cover duty for a replacement vehicle. The Office of State Revenue administers these refunds and can be contacted on 1300 139 814.

Commonwealth/State Natural Disaster Arrangements

The above Schemes are eligible for Australian Government financial assistance, usually by way of partial reimbursement of actual expenditure, under Australian Government Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements. Under the cost sharing formula, NSW pays for the first $119.7 million of natural disaster costs each year, and can claim from the Australian Government half of all eligible Personal Hardship and Distress costs within this first threshold.