People in flood-ravaged parts of New South Wales are being gifted an early Christmas present with $182 million worth of funding unlocked to get them back into their damaged homes.
It comes after widespread and prolonged flooding during in months, as well as a catastrophic and deadly event in the central west town of Eugowra.
Thousands of homes have been damaged or destroyed.
Residents across 17 local government areas will be able to apply for the assistance from today.
It includes a $20,000 Back Home grant designed to help people get back on their feet by covering the costs of urgent repairs, replacing essential goods and restoring houses to a habitable condition.
Up to 16 weeks of rental support payments will be available as well as almost $9 million for targeted property assessments.
For many in the Central West whose homes are uninhabitable, a $59.4 million Caravan and Modular Housing Program is being extended to secure medium-term housing.
Those displaced by floods in these areas can apply:
- Bathurst, Cabonne, Cootamundra-Gundagai, Cowra, Dubbo, Forbes, Gunnedah, Lachlan, Liverpool Plains, Moree Plains, Murray River, Narrabri, Parkes, Snowy Valleys, Upper Lachlan, Wagga Wagga and Walgett
Acting federal emergency minister Catherine King said it would provide more security for families and a roof over people's heads during the recovery phase.
"Insecure housing can be incredibly stressful for families, particularly at this time of year," Ms King said.
"We will stand alongside communities for the long haul".
NSW emergency minister Steph Cooke said they had learnt from previous floods it was important to fast-track these grants.
Mavis Cross has begun the massive clean-up and reparation works at her house in Eugowra.
A wave of water that swept through the town shifted walls, ruined her floors and essentially destroyed all of her belongings.
To date, she has received about $1,000 from the state and federal governments and a caravan to live in temporarily.
Ms Cross hopes this latest financial assistance will be more forthcoming.
"It has taken five, nearly six weeks," she said.
Getting people back home
For Ms Cross, the $20,000 lump sum will help her get her life back to some normality.
"It could help me a great lot — it'd get me right back in my home with everything done," Ms Cross said.
"At the moment, I'm just doing the necessary parts and I'll just have to do the rest later on."
Although she suspects that for those who have lost far more than her the assistance may not be enough.
The pensioner had not taken out flood insurance, which she was quoted as costing $23,000 annually
Having lived in her home at Eugowra for 62 years, which never flooded, she thought it was not necessary.
"But things changed this time. It was more like a disaster — a tsunami," Ms Cross said.
Funding a positive 'start'
The Cabonne Shire Council had been calling for the additional funding since Eugowra was almost wiped out more than five weeks ago.
It has been seeking additional help for those in Molong, Cudal and Canowindra too.
"It gives the flood victims a cash injection to get things started, to get tradesmen on the ground, to buy refurbished plasterboard for their homes," Mayor Kevin Beatty said.
He said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese broke the news to him this morning.
"It is important, and leading into Christmas it couldn't be a better announcement," Cr Beatty said.
He said the funding was a positive "start" but more grants would be needed in the future.
"There is no doubt in the world that it will be adequate for some and far from adequate for others," Cr Beatty said.
"There have been homes that have been totally destroyed, whereas some have had anything from minor to moderate damage in their homes."
The council has vowed to continue lobbying for more funding as many residents need to start their lives from scratch.
The Commonwealth said it would continue to work with the NSW Government to help with the clean-up and recovery.
