$220,000 to support bush fire disaster recovery

Treasurer Dominic Perrottet and Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott visited bushfire impacted areas today around Kempsey and Port Macquarie to speak with locals and thank firefighters for their continued efforts battling the blazes.

BlazeAid, a volunteer-based organisation in regional NSW that assists families and individuals hit by bushfires, will receive $100,000 to purchase fencing materials and tools. A further $120,000 will be provided to local councils to assist BlazeAid with their vital work, on top of the $160,000 already committed to affected local councils.

Mr Perrottet said this much needed funding would help BlazeAid’s hundreds of volunteers on the ground supporting more than 200 landholders to clean-up and remove destroyed fences so they could start repairing or replacing fences as quickly as possible.

“While our combat agencies continue to work tirelessly to contain these fires, we know that many kilometres of fencing has been destroyed and there is a large amount of debris to be cleared. This extra funding will assist communities devastated by bushfires here in northern NSW begin the recovery process,” Mr Perrottet said.

Mr Elliott said there are many impacted communities across NSW in various phases of response and recovery and it was vital to support organisations like BlazeAid who help local communities get back on their feet faster.

“As our firefighters are on the frontline fighting the blazes, we as a Government are acutely aware that there are many residents who have been displaced because of the bushfires and who need immediate financial and practical support,” Mr Elliott said.

BlazeAid currently have base camps established in Casino, Tenterfield, Ewingar and Ebor and are investigating preferred locations for additional base-camps to support those communities impacted by fires in the Mid North Coast, including in Nymboida, Wingham and Nabiac.