Funding assistance is now available for Kiama, Shoalhaven and Eurobodalla councils following the late July floods, Member for Gilmore, Fiona Phillips has announced, however further support will be needed on the back of this weekend’s storms.

“Immediately after the recent storms, I wrote to the Minister asking for support to be made available quickly and I am pleased to see that has now been activated,” Fiona Phillips said.

“Our councils have had it extremely tough this year and we are certainly not out of the woods, so I am continuing those discussions with the Minister to ensure our community gets the support we need, when we need it,” she said.

The assistance announced under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements will help cover the costs associated with the operational response and repairing damaged essential public assets, such as roads.

Available assistance measures may include:

• Personal hardship and distress assistance
• Counter disaster operations
• Restoration of essential public assets
• Concessional interest rate loans for small businesses, primary producers and non-profit organisations
• Freight subsidies
• Grants to non-profit organisations.

Mrs Phillips thanked all the emergency services workers and volunteers that are working tirelessly once again to protect our community.

“I can’t say it enough – we have fantastic emergency services personnel on the South Coast who have shown time and time again this year just how amazing they are – thank you for everything you do!”

Further information on the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements is available here.