Hardship and council assistance available for flooded north Queensland communities

As a tropical low continues to bring torrential downpours to north Queensland, the Australian and Queensland Governments have activated disaster payments for eligible residents in the Hinchinbrook and Palm Island LGAs, and targeted areas of Burdekin, Cassowary Coast, Townsville and Gordonvale.

Days of relentless storms have seen well over a metre of rain recorded in communities stretching from Burdekin to Cairns, with many homes inundated and local road networks flooded.

Assistance under the Personal Hardship Assistance Scheme will provide severely impacted residents with immediate payments of $180 per person, up to $900 for a family of five or more to cover the essentials of food, clothing and medicine.

Essential Household Contents Grants up to $1,765 for individuals and up to $5,300 for couples or families can be used to replace destroyed household items like whitegoods and bed linen.

Essential Services Hardship Assistance of $150 per person, up to $750 for a family of five or more can assist with immediate needs following the loss of essential services at home for more than five consecutive days.

Other financial aid aimed at uninsured low-income earners includes Structural Assistance Grants up to $80,000 for the repair or replacement of a disaster damaged dwelling, and the Essential Services Safety and Reconnection Scheme, with up to $5,000 available towards the reconnection of power, gas, water and sewerage.

This support is being provided through the joint Commonwealth-state Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).

To check eligibility and apply visit www.qld.gov.au/disasterhelp or phone the Queensland Community Recovery Hotline on 1800 173 349.

DRFA assistance has also been extended to the councils of Burdekin, Cairns, Cassowary Coast, Hinchinbrook, Palm Island, Tablelands, Townsville and Yarrabah to fund their response and recovery efforts.

This includes costs relating to counter disaster operations that ensure public safety, emergency road repairs, and the reconstruction of essential public assets.

Although the chance of this tropical low developing into a cyclone remains low, heavy rainfall will continue through the week. 

The Queensland Reconstruction Authority has deployed officers to the region and will work in lockstep with councils and other support agencies, activating further DRFA assistance measures as required.