Now that this week’s floods have destroyed thousands of citizens of NSW, they will be able to access “uncapped” financial aid.
For 23 local government areas, a natural disaster was declared late on Monday night as torrential rain lashed Sydney and the NSW coastline.
People residing in the impacted LGAs will receive emergency money under the Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements, the SES announced in a joint statement with the state and federal governments (DRFA).
Blacktown, the Blue Mountains, Camden, Canterbury, Bankstown, Campbelltown, Central Coast, Cessnock, Fairfield, Georges River, Hawkesbury, Hornsby, Kiama, Lithgow, Liverpool, Northern Beaches, Penrith, Shellharbour, Shoalhaven, Sutherland, The Hills, Wingecarribee, Wollondilly, and Wollongong have all been deemed to be in a state of natural disaster.
Following days of severe rain, tens of thousands of Sydney residents were forced to leave their homes due to quickly rising flood levels.
In addition to the 67.2mm of rain that the harbor city has already received in the last 24 hours, another 35mm of rain is expected to fall on Tuesday.
Murray Watt, the minister of emergency management, said the government was working to make sure the impacted areas had the assistance they required as soon as possible.
The fact that some of these devastated villages have experienced flooding for the third and fourth times in the past 18 months is immensely upsetting to the locals, according to Mr. Watt.
The payouts would be “uncapped” and “accessible for everybody who qualifies,” he told the ABC.
Those who have lost their houses or possessions, or who have had them seriously destroyed, will receive the assistance.
Local governments will also receive assistance with funding for clean-up expenses and road restoration.
Access to loans with a reduced interest rate will be available to small businesses, primary producers, and nonprofit organizations.
Primary producers will also receive freight subsidies.
According to NSW Emergency Services Minister Steph Cooke, families whose homes were destroyed or damaged by the flooding would receive “urgent help.”
While the emergency response phase of this developing weather disaster is still very much ongoing, she added, “when waters recede, we will engage with communities to assess longer-term recovery needs and ensure appropriate long-term support is provided.”
Gosford, Cessnock, Maitland, Dungog, and Kulnura are all under a severe weather warning for heavy rain and destructive gusts of up to 90 km/h for Sydney, the NSW Central Coast, and the Hunter areas.
After the rain stops on Tuesday night, authorities have warned that it could take up to a week for floodwaters to recede.
On Monday, Sydney had yet another night of pandemonium as life-threatening floodwaters cut off more neighbourhoods, flooded stores, and stranded drivers on flooded highways.
In a 12-hour period, SES members responded to 500 requests for help, 100 of which involved flood rescues.
Residents in Chipping Norton in Sydney’s southwest were among the last to get an evacuation order in the early hours of Tuesday morning, along with residents of Ebenezer, Lower Portland, Mulgrave, Mulgrave South, Vineyard, and McGraths Hill in the northwest.
At 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Shanes Park became the most recent area to get evacuation orders.
Three times in as many months, the Hawkesbury River near Windsor has seen substantial flooding; on Tuesday morning, it peaked at 14 meters, which is higher than the 13.8 meters recorded in March.
As much as 200mm of rain fell in certain areas of the city’s south on Monday night, prompting evacuation orders in Woronora and Bonnet Bay.
Nearly 100 evacuation orders are still in effect, and there are 60 evacuation warnings covering nearly 45,000 people.