- Published:
- Tuesday 6 January 2015
Disaster assistance is now available for Victorians affected by the bushfires in Moyston, Commonwealth Minister for Justice, Michael Keenan, and Victorian Minister for Emergency Services, Jane Garrett, announced today.
The jointly-funded Commonwealth-State Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA) will offer the following emergency grants to people in the Rural City of Ararat who are suffering personal hardship and distress as a result of the fires:
• Emergency Relief Assistance, which provides payments up to $520 per adult and $260 per child (up to a maximum of $1,300 per household) to cover emergency food, shelter, clothing, and personal items.
• Emergency Re-establishment Assistance, which provides assistance up to $31,950 per household for clean-up, emergency accommodation, repairs, rebuilding (a principal place of residence), and replacing some damaged contents.
Assistance is also available to people affected by the Creightons Creek fire which began in December last year. Emergency Re-establishment Assistance is only available for households in extreme hardship.
Information about the assistance can be found on the Australian Government’s Disaster Assist website at www.disasterassist.gov.au and through Emergency Relief and Recovery Victoria (www.recovery.vic.gov.au or 1300 799 232).
Quotes attributable to The Hon Michael Keenan, Commonwealth Minister for Justice
“These emergency grants will assist affected families with any immediate needs and also provide help to people to undertake clean-up activities so they can re-establish their homes.”
"The Commonwealth and Victorian governments are committed to working together to ensure that disaster affected communities receive the necessary support to help them recover as soon as possible."
Quotes attributable to Jane Garrett, Victorian Minister for Emergency Services
“Smoke and ash has contaminated the residential potable water supplies of many properties. The Re-establishment Grants being announced today can be used to clean-up and refill residential potable water tanks so that affected properties are safe and habitable”.
“I urge all Victorians living in bushfire prone areas to remain vigilant and make sure they have a bushfire plan.”