THE HON MARK DREYFUS QC MP
Attorney-General
Minister for Emergency Management
MEDIA RELEASE
MORE VICTORIAN COMMUNITIES RECEIVE ASSISTANCE AFTER FIRES
Disaster assistance will be provided to Victorian communities hit by bushfires in February 2013 under the jointly funded Commonwealth and Victorian Government Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA).
Attorney-General and Minister for Emergency Management Mark Dreyfus QC today announced assistance to 10 more Local Government Areas.
The areas are Alpine, Ararat, Baw Baw, Horsham, Mansfield, Mitchell, Northern Grampians, Southern Grampians, Wellington and Whittlesea.
Assistance available through the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements includes personal hardship and distress assistance for families, and funding to help Councils clean up and restore damaged community infrastructure, Mr Dreyfus said.
Funding through these arrangements includes emergency food, clothing and accommodation, plus help for people trying to re-establish their damaged homes.
Personal hardship and distress assistance can be accessed through the Victorian Department of Human Services and includes:
- Emergency relief assistance, which provides payments of up to $480 per adult and $240 per child up to a maximum of $1,200 per household to cover emergency shelter, food, clothing, or personal items; and
- Emergency re-establishment assistance of up to $30,000 per household for clean-up, emergency accommodation, repairs, rebuilding and replacing some damaged contents
People who have suffered personal hardship and distress should contact their local Victorian Department of Human Services branch or visit www.dhs.vic.gov.au/emergency to find out about assistance that may be available.
The Commonwealth Government recognises that many of the communities affected by these bushfires have also experienced serious storms and floods over the past few years, Mr Dreyfus said.
We are working closely with the Victorian Government to ensure fire affected communities have support during this period to help them recover and rebuild."
Information on the range of assistance that is available under the NDRRA can be found at Disaster Assist website.
SATURDAY, 2 MARCH 2013
