Flood-devastated communities in northern NSW will receive an additional $265 million in joint federal and state recovery funds targeting local council and infrastructure repairs.
Federal Emergency Management Minister Bridget McKenzie announced “the fourth tranche” alongside NSW Emergency Minister Steph Cooke in Ballina saying $2 billion has been disbursed in the last three weeks to the region.
She said a specific package focused on the Northern Rivers will target flood-devastated communities in the seven LGAs of Ballina, Byron, Tweed, Kyogle, Lismore, Richmond Valley and Clarence Valley.
“We know that catastrophic event that occurred was not seen elsewhere across the country,” Ms McKenzie told reporters.
“Any of us that have been on the ground in Lismore in the days since that event can attest to the devastating impact to it and the broader community”.
Ms Cooke says $120 million will be allocated to councils for capital funds and grants and another $145 million for critical infrastructure particularly water treatment and sewage works.
Ballina Mayor Sharon Cadwallader said the funding was an “injection of hope” for the community, after it had been used as a ‘political football’.
“We’re suffering, the whole region is suffering and whatever help we can get we’re welcoming it with open arms because it’s so badly needed,” she told AAP on Friday.
Some 660,000 people in NSW are being supported through direct federal government assistance totalling $652 million so far, Ms McKenzie said.
The latest funding comes after the federal government announced Thursday two additional disaster recovery payments to residents in the flood-ravaged Tweed, Byron, Kyogle and Ballina council areas.
The support was extended a week after the same payments were given to residents in Lismore, Clarence Valley and Richmond Valley council areas.
Jihad Dib, the NSW Opposition’s spokesman for Emergency Services, said actions had not matched words.
“The government has dropped the ball… We don’t want to see announcements for the sake of announcements, we want to see delivery on the ground,” he told reporters on Friday referring to residents unable to access long-term housing.
On Thursday the NSW Treasurer Matt Kean said the framework for allocating funds had failed and there were multiple examples of flood-affected communities going without support.
Mr Kean said he understood the anger Ballina locals might be feeling, and was working with the commonwealth to get grants into pockets.
He said the cost of the floods disaster would likely exceed the $5 billion the NSW government spent on the 2019-20 bushfire crisis.
Multiple outlets reported the announcement of a substantial joint state and Commonwealth flood relief package, was held up by Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s visit to Western Australia.
This was denied by Mr Morrison, saying he received the NSW government’s proposal on Tuesday and had met with the attorney-general and national security committee of cabinet to go through the details.
