Gold Coast floods and weather: Residents eligible for Queensland Government’s disaster assistance grants

Flood-affected residents are now eligible for emergency disaster relief payments, with Queensland Government ann`ouncing the crucial change as mammoth clean-up efforts get underway.

Gold Coasters hit hard by floods are now eligible for payments of up to $180 per person or $900 for a family under Queensland Government’s disaster assistance grants.

The decision was announced late Wednesday evening in response to the “wide ranging” flood emergency that battered south east Queensland in recent days.

It comes after the Bulletin this week revealed the support package was yet to be extended to residents despite many homes and suburbs being inundated with floodwater.

Federal Minister Emergency Management and National Recovery Bridget McKenzie said grants for essential services safety reconnection (ESSR) had also been activated.

“These are available to eligible residents who are uninsured and have experienced certain loss or damage to electricity, gas, water, sewerage or septic systems as a result of this disaster,” she said.

“Hundreds of families across both these regions are beginning to see the enormous clean-up task ahead of them as the floodwaters go down.

“I want to assure these communities the Australian and Queensland governments stand in solidarity with them on their recovery journey to provide support wherever it is needed.”

Emergency grants were activated for residents in Brisbane, Fraser Coast, Gympie, Ipswich, Lockyer Valley, Logan, Moreton Bay, Noosa, North Burnett, Somerset and the Sunshine Coast earlier this week.

The cause way at Maudsland Drive Oxenford. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Scott Powick

Queensland Minister Fire and Emergency Services Mark Ryan said the extent of the floods was “incredibly wide ranging.”

“From Bundaberg and Gladstone in the north out to Dalby in the Western Downs and down south to the Gold Coast, these floods are eclipsing even those of five years ago during Cyclone Debbie,” he said.

Gold Coasters are also currently eligible for the Disaster Recovery Payment and the Disaster Recovery Allowance.

The first is a lump-sum payment of $1000 per adult and $400 per child, with people who have been “adversely impacted” by the flooding able to apply.

Information on disaster assistance can be found on the Queensland Reconstruction Authority’s website at www.qra.qld.gov.au.

Why Gold Coast is missing from $900 flood grant

March 1: Gold Coasters wanting to claim the state government’s Emergency Hardship Assistance grants of up to $180 per person and $900 for a family will have to wait a little longer.

That’s because the Gold Coast Local Government Area has not yet been included as an “activation area” for people impacted by the flooding crisis.

The Gold Coast was missing from Communities Minister Leeanne Enoch’s official statement announcing the state government grant on Tuesday afternoon.

The full list of activated areas included Brisbane, Gympie, Ipswich, Lockyer Valley, Logan, Moreton Bay, Noosa, North Burnett and Somerset.

The Emergency Hardship Assistance grants help cover the costs of essential items, such as food, medication and clothing for people directly impacted by this week’s floods.

When asked why the Gold Coast was not included in the announcement, a government spokesman said state and federal declarations were made in consultation with councils.

“Brisbane, Noosa and Logan were not included until this morning and conversations are already underway the Gold Coast,” he said.

“An announcement about the Gold Coast is expected very soon.”

A Gold Coast City Council spokeswoman said it had already made the appropriate submissions for the grant.

“We are pleased that the state government has indicated there would be an announcement about the Gold Coast soon,” the spokeswoman said.

Gold Coasters are currently eligible for the Disaster Recovery Payment and the Disaster Recovery Allowance.

The cause way at Maudsland Drive Oxenford during the floods. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Scott Powick

The first is a lump-sum payment of $1000 per adult and $400 per child, with people who have been “adversely impacted” by the flooding able to apply.

This includes anyone who has been seriously injured, if their immediate family member has been killed or missing due to the disaster, or if their main place of residence has been “destroyed or suffered massive damage”.

The Recovery Allowance is an ongoing payment lasting up to 13 weeks for people whose incomes have been affected as a direct result of the flooding.

It applies to employees, small business persons and farmers and to be eligible people must have been working in the affected area.

For more information, you can read more here.

– with Madura McCormack

Follow @Melwhiting