Canberra
Prime Minister Julia Gillard and NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell today announced financial assistance will be made available in 11 local government areas affected by the weekend's severe storms and flooding in NSW.
This is the second major flood event northern NSW has experienced this year and it is important we support the region's local communities as they recover.
The damaging winds and heavy rainfall along the east coast of NSW has resulted in severe wind damage and major flooding in a number of areas along the coast between Byron and Kiama.
The NSW State Emergency Service received a large number of calls for assistance, with the heavy rain, strong winds and flash flooding bringing down power lines and trees and ripping roofs off homes.
A natural disaster declaration has been made in the following 11 local government areas:
* Ballina
* Bellingen
* Byron
* Camden
* Clarence Valley
* Coffs Harbour
* Kempsey
* Kiama
* Nambucca
* Port Macquarie Hastings
* Randwick
This declaration triggers a number of disaster assistance schemes to help with the cost of storm relief and recovery.
These disaster assistance schemes are made available by the NSW Government through the NSW Disaster Assistance Arrangements and they are jointly funded by the Commonwealth Government through the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements.
These measures will help families, business owners, primary producers and local councils to restore any damage caused by the severe storms and flooding and ease some of the associated burden.
Further areas could be declared in the coming days as the clean-up effort continues.
Everyone is urged to listen to their local emergency warnings and never ever go into flood waters.
Anyone needing help from the SES should contact their local unit on 132 500. In a life threatening emergency, always ring Triple Zero (000).
For more information about disaster assistance go to www.emergency.nsw.gov.au.