Flood assistance available

Flood affected businesses can now find quick access to support information through a dedicated web portal on the Australian Government’s Businesswebsite.

Financial Assistance

Financial assistance available through Service NSW
The NSW Government is administering direct financial assistance to flood affected businesses and individuals.

Through the Service NSW floods portal the following assistance is now available for those impacted by the floods:

Individuals

• A Disaster Relief Grant – to assist low income earners faced with disaster hardship who have suffered damage to the structure or contents of their home.
• Personal and financial counselling.
• Assistance finding temporary housing for those who have been forced from their homes.

Small business, primary production and not-for profit organisation support

• Small business recovery grants up to $50,000 for businesses that have suffered direct damage
• Primary producer recovery grants up to $75,000 for producers that have suffered direct damage
• Small business and primary producers concessional loans of up to $130,000
• Concessional interest rate loans for not-for-profits
• Freight subsidies of up to 50 per cent for primary producers

Councils

• Assistance with operational costs and the restoration of essential public assets.

More information is available here

Use the NSW Disaster Assistance Finder to find assistance available to you.

Australian Government payments

Services Australia is on the ground in Recovery Centres and as a mobile unit around the region to support affected community members to access disaster support.

• Disaster Recovery Payment – $1,000 per eligible adult and $400 per eligible child if your home has been severely damaged or destroyed, or you’ve been seriously injured.
• Disaster Recovery Allowance – short-term income assistance (up to 13 weeks) if you’ve lost income as a direct result of the floods.

Flood recovery assistance for creatives

Arts Northern Rivers have announced direct payments of $1,000 to directly assist flood affected individual creatives in the Northern Rivers region. Learn more

Commonwealth Bank grants for community organisations

The Commonwealth Bank of Australia is accepting applications for flood grants from community organisations to assist with clean up, rebuilding and recovery. Learn more

Support on the ground

Recovery Centres are operating in locations across the Northern Rivers, providing access to services including:

• Resilience NSW
• Red Cross
• Service NSW
• Communities and Justice (DCJ) – Housing
• Services Australia (Centrelink)
• Salvation Army

Locations and shuttle bus information is available here

Distribution Centres are open in Ballina and Lismore.

The Ballina Distribution Hub is now located on Gallans Road, Ballina, at the old Thursday Plantation café site. It is open from 10am – 2pm 7 days a week.

Lismore distribution centres are at the showgrounds, distributing clothes, food, pet and baby supplies from Lifeline and Thread Together and 51 Whyralla Road, East Lismore distributing food, cleaning supplies and medicine.

Local business events and fundraising to support flood recovery

Northern Rivers Food member fundraiser
An opportunity to reconnect with local food industry community in a ‘BBQ in the Court’ 5:15 to 7:15pm Wednesday 30 March at Barrio, Porter Street, Byron Industrial Estate

Byron Bay Chamber of Commerce small business lunch and flood relief fundraiser
Business building through resilience and wellbeing. Funds raised will be donated to flood relief – 5:30 to 8:30pm, Thursday 31 March 2020 at the Byron Bay Golf Club

Rebuild, recharge and renew your business post pandemic and flood – Ballina Business Chamber
Ballina Business Chamber are holding a NSW Small Business Month event covering essential recovery info for the local business community. 5 to 7:30pm at the Ballina RSL on Thursday 31 March 2022. Bookings are essential.