Communities in eight Queensland local government areas will be able to apply for disaster assistance after extensive flooding in central, southern, and western parts of the state.
Assistance is being provided through the jointly funded Commonwealth‐State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) to the LGAs of Banana, Barcaldine, Goondiwindi, Lockyer Valley, Maranoa, Scenic Rim, South Burnett, and Toowoomba.
Federal Minister for Emergency Management and National Recovery and Resilience Bridget McKenzie said clean‐up and restoration costs incurred by local councils will also be covered by the DRFA.
This assistance adds to the disaster assistance already available in Barcoo, Blackall‐Tambo, Boulia, Diamantina, and Southern Downs after widespread flooding earlier in November.
Under a separate category of DRFA assistance, support has also been extended to the local governments of Central Highlands, Longreach, Murweh, and Western Downs to assist with their clean-up operations and the repair of essential public assets damaged by the floods.
In other DRFA news, assistance has been made available to a further 18 LGAs in NSW.
The additional LGAs are Bourke, Coonamble, Dubbo, Glen Innes Severn, Kyogle, Lithgow, Liverpool Plains, Lockhart, Muswellbrook, Narromine, Orange, Parkes, Singleton, Snowy Monaro, Snowy Valleys, Tamworth, Walgett, and Warren.
In Victoria, communities in the Surf Coast local government area are now eligible for recovery support after storms in late October.
Support has previously been made available in 39 other Victorian LGAs.