FRESH FEDERAL FLOOD SUPPORT PACKAGE

A further round of federal financial assistance has been unveiled for flood-affected residents in northern NSW, as clean-up efforts intensify.

INITIAL MEASURES

* Two more weekly disaster recovery payments of $1000 per adult and $400 per child will be made to residents in the Lismore, Richmond Valley and Clarence Valley local councils.

* The payments will be made on March 15 and 22.

* Further assessments will be carried out to see if other local council areas will qualify for additional payments.

* $10 million will go towards mental health support for school children in the northern rivers region.

* $5.4 million will be spent to boost legal assistance services in affected areas, while $25 million will be spent on emergency relief, food and financial counselling.

* Nearly $7 million has been set aside for support payments for early childhood centres where the floods forced them to close for more than seven days. The support payments will be $10,000 each.

* The government will provide $7 million to expand the business recovery service into at least 30 flood-affected areas of northern NSW and southeast Queensland.

* Long-term mental health support will be boosted with $31.2 million for families and communities.

* There will be $4.7 million for primary health care services.

LONGER TERM MEASURES

* Support for hydrology studies

* Federal emergency response fund to be made available, at a level the prime minister described as “more than tens of millions”

* Flood mitigation works

 

Andrew Brown
(Australian Associated Press)