Disaster assistance made available for communities affected by the bushfires in Armidale and Inverell was welcomed by the Member for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall, who said the fire burnt out more than 12,000 hectares since the weekend for the loss of six houses and nine sheds.
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He said the declaration and assistance also covered those impacted in coming days as the fire continued to burn.
“Our firies have again been doing a tremendous job, working non-stop to protect lives and properties,” he said. “
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"I met a crew this morning that had not slept for two days. This is one of largest firefighting efforts our region has seen in recent memory and everyone is pitching in.
"I want people to know that it is not too soon to claim disaster assistance if you have lost property and are in difficulty. There are staff at evacuation centres who can sit down with you and help with your application. The assistance is there to help if you need it."
For information on personal hardship and distress assistance, contact the Disaster Welfare Assistance Line on 1800 018 444.
To apply for a concessional loan, grant or freight subsidy, contact the NSW Rural Assistance Authority on 1800 678 593 or visit their website here.
Further information on disaster assistance is available on the Australian Government’s Disaster Assist website and the NSW emergency information and response website
Assistance measures available include:
- help for eligible people whose homes or belongings have been damaged;
- support for affected local councils to help with the costs of cleaning up and restoring damaged essential public assets;
- concessional interest rate loans for small businesses, primary producers and non-profit organisations;
- freight subsidies for primary producers;
- and grants to eligible non-profit organisations.
