The NSW opposition has outlined a plan for the state to rebuild and recover from the devastating floods which have left about 1500 people in emergency accommodation and damaged or destroyed about 95,000 homes.
The federal and NSW governments were too slow their immediate response and have been sluggish in getting support out, NSW Labor said on Sunday.
The plan calls for a number of measures to assist flood-impacted communities including waiving government fees, the re-introduction of JobKeeper and what Labor Leader Chris Minns called a "payroll tax holiday to businesses".
"We're calling on (the government) to use their leverage with the Commonwealth government to re-establish JobKeeper for flood affected communities," Mr Minns said in Lismore on Sunday.
"At the end of the day, the town needs to have money in their back pocket so that businesses can operate. The impact on this community is as great, if not greater than the COVID-19 pandemic.
"They will require federal government support and assistance."
Mr Minns also called for the establishment of a central "relocation authority" to assist people who decide they want to move away from the area.
The opposition also proposed the government make it easier for people to rebuild by getting rid of stamp duty, increasing existing structural repairs-to-homes grants, considering buy-back schemes for homes in high-risk areas and a Northern Rivers focused tourism and spending campaign.
Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin said things just "aren't happening on the ground," in flood-affected areas.
"How will our businesses keep going unless they have that support," she asked.
"If we don't stand up our business community along with the rest of the community, that means we have a real problem here."
Labor has additionally suggested one-off payments to branches of the SES to boost their equipment and capabilities and assist their branches to update their lists of flood-prone contacts.
Of some 7200 business grant applications, only 252 have been approved, the opposition also claimed.
However, this was disputed by the government.
The rollout was being hampered by people making fraudulent claims, Service NSW CEO Damon Rees said in a statement.
"Service NSW is currently processing around 400 applications each day and has assessed almost 4000 applications since applications opened on 9 March," Mr Rees said.
"We're working to fast-track the assessment process even further and expect to increase our capacity to 640 applications per day from next week."
He said it was "extremely disappointing to have already identified almost 200 cases of suspected fraud" adding identifying these cases took time away from giving grants to people in need.
Many businesses were beginning to benefit as $3.9 million worth of funds had already been approved through the Storm Flood Disaster Recovery Small Business grants program.
"These payments are public money that has been explicitly set aside for those who have been devastated by recent natural events and need it most," NSW Police State Crime Commander Assistant Commissioner Stuart Smith said.
Anyone exploiting the scheme can expect to be "prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," he added.
Submitting a fraudulent grant application is a criminal offence with a penalty of up to 10 years.
