DAN REPACHOLI MP

FEDERAL MEMBER FOR HUNTER

   MEDIA RELEASE

 HELPING MORE FLOOD AFFECTED PEOPLE BACK HOME IN HUNTER REGION

Hunter Region residents displaced by the recent floods are getting a helping hand to ‘get back home’ with grants of up to $20,000 available through a joint Commonwealth and NSW Government initiative.

The Back Home grant for renters, landlords and homeowners has recently been extended to include people impacted by the July floods. This is in addition to a series of other clean-up and funding programs underway, including up to 16 weeks in rental support payments, rural landholder grants, small business and not-for-profit support, and an $80 million clean-up support program.

Federal Member for Hunter, Mr Dan Repacholi MP, said households declared damaged or destroyed by the July floods would be eligible for funding.

“Whether a home needs electricity reconnected or structural repairs, the ‘Back Home’ grant ensures this can happen sooner,” said Mr Repacholi.

“This program will help homes to become habitable again by contributing to the cost of replacing appliances, reconnecting utilities, fixing roofs, connecting electricity and making other necessary repairs.”

The funds can go towards any clean-up costs to restore housing to a habitable condition, such as: 

• Inspection and safe reconnection of electrical, gas, water, hot water and sewerage equipment not otherwise the responsibility of utility companies; 
• Necessary replacement or repairs to damaged essential household goods such as refrigerators, ovens, washing machines and microwaves;
• Necessary replacement or repairs to damaged equipment such as computers and tools and other essential household contents;

• Moving to a new property if you are a tenant;
• Necessary structural repairs including roof, flooring, walls, fittings (owner-occupier/owner).

The $47 million program, delivered through the jointly funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA), is available across the worst-impacted Local Government Areas of: Blacktown, Camden, Canterbury-Bankstown, Central Coast, Cessnock, Fairfield, Hawkesbury, Hornsby, Liverpool, Maitland, Mid Coast, Penrith, Port Stephens, Singleton, Sutherland, The Hills and Wollongong.

Eligibility:

• A maximum of $20,000 will be available for any one property, with owner occupiers eligible for up to $20,000, owner investors eligible for up to $15,000, and tenants eligible for up to $5,000.
• The property must be assessed as damaged, destroyed or uninhabitable and owner or renter must be uninsured or unable to claim insurance.
• Applicants impacted by flooding in February 2022, and again in July 2022, may be able to apply twice under the scheme, subject to all eligibility criteria being met.

Those who have received the means tested Disaster Relief Grant are not eligible for this package.

The grants will go live in coming days. You can find out more and register to be notified via www.nsw.gov.au/floods/financial-support.

Further information on assistance available as a result of the July floods is available at www.recovery.gov.au