Disaster assistance is now available in two additional local government areas following severe storms and flooding in November 2021. 

The additional LGAs are Hilltops and Yass Valley.    

Assistance is being provided through the jointly-funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).    

Damage assessments are still ongoing in several local government areas. 

Federal Member for Hume Angus Taylor said that individuals, households, small businesses and primary producers in the regions impacted by this event were encouraged to contact Service NSW to discuss available assistance.    

“I welcome the additional support for Hilltops after severe storms and flooding caused a lot of damage across the region late last year,” Mr Taylor said.   

These areas now included are in addition to the initial declaration for the local government areas of Balranald, Bathurst, Bega Valley, Blayney, Blue Mountains, Bogan, Bourke, Brewarrina, Broken Hill, Cabonne, Cobar, Coonamble, Cootamundra-Gundagai, Cowra, Dubbo, Eurobodalla, Federation, Forbes, Gilgandra, Glen Innes Severn, Goulburn-Mulwaree, Greater Hume, Gunnedah, Gwydir, Inverell, Kyogle, Lachlan, Lismore, Lithgow, Liverpool Plains, Lockhart, Mid-Western, Moree Plains, Muswellbrook, Narrabri, Narromine, Oberon, Orange, Parkes, Port Macquarie-Hastings, Queanbeyan-Palerang, Richmond Valley, Shoalhaven, Singleton, Snowy Monaro, Snowy Valleys, Tamworth, Tenterfield, Upper Hunter, Upper Lachlan, Walcha, Walgett, Warren, Warrumbungle, Weddin, Wentworth and the Unincorporated Area of NSW.    

Assistance available under the DRFA may include:  

1. Help for eligible people whose homes or belongings have been damaged (eligibility criteria apply)  

2. Recovery grants for primary producers  

3. Support for affected local councils to help with the costs of cleaning up and restoring damaged essential public assets  

4. Concessional interest rate loans for small businesses, primary producers and non-profit organisations, and 

5. Freight subsidies for primary producers.  

For information on personal hardship and distress assistance, contact Service NSW on 13 77 88.    

To apply for a concessional loan or primary producer grant, contact the NSW Rural Assistance Authority on 1800 678 593 or visit www.raa.nsw.gov.au.    

Information on disaster assistance can be found on the Australian Government’s Disaster Assist website at www.disasterassist.gov.au.