FURTHER ASSISTANCE FOR VICTIMS OF THE NORTH QUEENSLAND FLOODS
13 March 2009
Attorney-General, Robert McClelland, today announced that the Australian Government will contribute a further $500,000 to assist victims of the recent North Queensland floods.
The contribution will be made to the Queensland Premier’s Disaster Relief Appeal Fund and will match that of the Queensland Government.
Contributions to the fund, from over 19,000 individuals and companies, have now reached over $5.7 million.
Mr McClelland said, “the Australian Government is acutely aware of the human and financial cost that natural disasters such as this can have and is committed to assisting individuals and communities recover.”
“The Commonwealth is working closely with the Queensland Government to ensure assistance is being provided to those affected by this destructive event.”
Today’s contribution is in addition to financial support being provided to those affected by the Queensland floods under the Australian Government’s Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA).
Through these arrangements partial reimbursement is provided to the Queensland Government to provide assistance such as grants for food, clothing, accommodation, emergency housing repairs and for expenditure on public infrastructure restoration.
This also includes concessional loans and freight subsidies for primary producers and small business, with additional income recovery subsidies provided through Centrelink.
In February, the Government also activated the Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment (AGDRP) for residents in Ingham.
The AGDRP is a one-off lump sum payment of $1,000 for adults and $400 for each child to help support recovery efforts.
More information on Australian Government assistance to those affected by the Queensland floods is available at www.disasterassist.gov.au.
Media Contact: Adam Siddique 0407 473 630
