Assistance for bush fire affected communities in NSW

Minister Keenan said the fires at Kempsey on 27 August, Shoalhaven on 12 September, and Cessnock, Mid Coast and Port Macquarie on 13 September burnt significant areas of land and threatened lives and properties.

“The Australian and NSW governments are committed to working together to ensure that these communities receive the support they need to help them in their recovery,” Mr Keenan said.

Assistance is being provided through the jointly-funded Commonwealth-State Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA).

Minister Grant said NDRRA assistance has been activated for the five bushfire affected local government areas of Cessnock, Kempsey, Mid Coast, Port Macquarie-Hastings and Shoalhaven.

“A range of disaster assistance is now available to help individuals, small businesses, primary producers and councils in each of these communities,” Mr Grant said.

Assistance available under the NDRRA may 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.

Further information on disaster assistance is available on the Australian Government’s Disaster Assist website disasterassist.gov.au and the NSW emergency information and response website at emergency.nsw.gov.au.