Boyce White Paper: Storms and Floods, Grants and Assistance
Introduction
This article is a snapshot of the grants and assistance available for anyone affected by the recent storms and floods. It includes links that are active at the time of writing. For updates, please check in with your local Boyce office .
Disaster Assistance Finder (nsw.gov.au) is a great tool to help navigate the support that's available, with information grouped into the kinds of help available. For example, accommodation, food and households items might be at front of mind this week; however, in a week’s time it may be a special disaster grant you need to apply for.
Rural Assistance Authority (RAA)
The current declaration of natural disasters is available at here .?Numerous applications are open now, across a range of sectors, including:
Applications for primary producers:
Special Disaster Grants
The NSW and Australian Governments have announced additional assistance measures to support primary producers who have been impacted by the floods and severe weather that occurred from?27 June 2022.
Assistance is now being provided to 49 local government areas in NSW through the jointly funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA). Primary producers recovering from the devastating impacts of floods are receiving vital support, with?Special Disaster Grants of up to $75,000 now available.
Flood-affected primary producers are encouraged to apply for Special Disaster Grants to access financial assistance to get back operating as soon as possible. Once approved, eligible primary producers can access $25,000 in assistance up-front, with a further $50,000 in financial assistance available thereafter upon submission of valid tax invoices.
Source: RAA
Disaster relief loans – primary producers
Primary producers directly affected by a declared natural disaster who are in urgent and genuine need of assistance, may be eligible for low interest loans of up to $130,000. This low-interest loan can help a farm business to:
Source: RAA
Critical Producer Grant
The NSW and Australian governments are committed to providing ongoing support for communities impacted by severe weather and flooding that occurred from February 2022 onwards (AGRN 1012), announcing the $100 million Critical Producer Grant, one of four recovery programs under the $150 million Primary Industry Support Package.
The Critical Producer Grant provides funding to help impacted primary producers and primary production enterprises to rebuild and recover in the medium to longer term.?Funding complements the?$75,000 Special Disaster Grant ?and will support NSW’ agriculture, horticulture, aquaculture and forestry industries. Applications for the Critical Producer Grant are open until?30 June 2023.
Source: RAA
Rural Landholders Grant
The NSW and Australian Governments are committed to providing ongoing support for regional communities impacted by severe storms and flood that began on 27 June 2022, with the announcement of the Rural Landholder Grant program. Grants of up to $25,000 are available for landholders and oyster farmers in declared Local Government Areas (LGAs) who receive at least $20,000 in income from primary production per annum and do not qualify for support through existing recovery programs. Eligible landholders and oyster farmers are encouraged to apply for the grant to support their recovery.
Applications for the RLG program are open until 9 February 2023. All activities and expenditure funded under this program must be complete, and all invoices to claim payment must be submitted to the RAA by 9 August 2023.
Once approved, eligible primary producers can access $5,000 in assistance up-front, with a further $20,000 in financial assistance available thereafter upon submission of valid tax invoices. Landholders are encouraged not to self-assess and to apply for the scheme so the RAA can determine eligibility.
Natural Disaster Transport Subsidy
The Natural Disaster Transport Subsidy is available to eligible farmers who are affected by a declared natural disaster event. This subsidy pays for?the cost of transporting:
Natural Disaster Donated Fodder Transport Subsidy
This scheme provides funding assistance to organisations that donate and transport donated fodder to a central location within NSW for the benefit of three or more primary producers with livestock, in the event of a declared natural disaster.
NSW Government: other assistance
a. Emergency grants and payment for people affected by floods
A short-term payment to help you if the NSW foods in September 2022 directly affects your income (maximum of 13 weeks, paid from the date lost income as a direct result of the NSW Floods that started on 14 September 2022). You have until?28 April 2023?to make a claim for the following LGAs:
The grants assist low-income residents who have no other means of restoring their homes to a safe and habitable condition following a disaster event. Assistance falls into two categories:?
If the natural disaster event has caused damage to a temporary dwelling, assistance provided will depend on the type of temporary dwelling. There are several types of temporary dwelling support available, including?support for people living in caravans, houseboats and relocatable homes and rough sleepers.
b. Legal and insurance support for people affected by floods
NSW residents affected by the recent severe weather and flooding can access emergency information about legal services, insurance claims, lost proof of identification and free mail redirection.?
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c. Additional flood financial support from government agencies and financial service providers
In addition to the many flood grants, legal support and insurance advice available to flood-affected communities, there is also further financial support available from government agencies and financial service providers including, listed below.
Vocational Education Hardship Fund and Apprentice and Trainee Support?
Students, trainees and apprentices in flood-affected North Coast areas can apply for grants of $500 to $1,000 under the Vocational Education Hardship Fund and Apprentice and Trainee Support. The grants can help replace training materials and recovery from the floods and are available to learners working, living or studying who are:
Postal applications for the grant are open until 9 December 2022.
Fees and charge waivers
The NSW Government supports people affected by floods by:?
Revenue NSW
Revenue NSW offer a range of options based on your circumstances, including:
Visit Revenue NSW for more information, or call 1300 650 394 .
Service NSW
You may be eligible for a refund on your vehicle registration or your licence fee. Visit?Service NSW ?or call?13 88 77 . You can?apply for free replacements ?of important documents damaged or lost in floods, including:
Smart and Skilled student fee reimbursement
Flood-affected Smart and Skilled students may be eligible to have course fees reimbursed. This initiative forms part of the NSW Government’s North Coast Education Flood Recovery Support Package. Eligible students were sent an email inviting them to apply. To be eligible, you must:
Crisis payments for other extreme circumstances
There are additional crisis payments?from the Australian Government for other extreme circumstances. You may get crisis payment if you’ve had to change where you live due to flooding or another unforeseen event. Check the list of?highly impacted suburbs ?that are prioritised for emergency financial support. Find more information on?Crisis Payment to Other Extreme Circumstance .
Additional childcare subsidy temporary financial hardship
If you’re experiencing temporary financial hardship, you may be eligible for extra help with the cost of childcare. This subsidy is added on top of the regular Child Care Subsidy. Find more information about whether you’re eligible on?Additional Child Care Subsidy Temporary Financial Hardship .
Australian Tax Office
The Australian Tax Office ? can help with tax or super obligations. Taxpayers in flood-affected areas will be provided with any additional time they need to meet any upcoming business activity statement obligations. Any GST refunds taxpayers are entitled to will also be fast-tracked to free up cash flow and help fund recovery. Find out more on their website or call the emergency assistance line on 1800 806 218
Free financial counselling
The National Debt Hotline ? offers free and confidential financial counselling and resources: call 1800 007 007 . Find more free financial counselling on?moneysmart.gov.au
Banks and financial service providers
Australia’s banks have announced options to defer loan repayments for up to 3 months for customers affected by floods in NSW. Additionally, some banks are offering small business customers in NSW from flood-impacted postcodes?grants of up to $3000 or grants of up to $10,000 to help with expenses and repairs.
Your bank may also be able to assist you in other ways, such as:
Contact your bank about how they can assist you.
Support from telco
Telephone and internet service providers are offering relief for customers affected by floods. You can apply by filling out a form with Telstra ?or Optus ?or contact your provider to find out more.
Early access to superannuation
There are limited circumstances in which you may be able to access your superannuation early. Visit?Early access on compassionate grounds ?to see if you’re eligible and to apply. It may be worth discussing this option with a financial counsellor.?
Other websites
Conclusion
As natural disaster events continue to occur, the available grants and assistance also continue to be updated.?Use this paper for awareness of what is available now and continue to review the websites for updates.
Appendix: DRFA Assistance?
Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) category explanation
Source: RAA
For more information on any of the assistance in this article, or to discuss your personal situation, contact your local Boyce office today.
https://www.boyceca.com/