April 2024 flood recovery updates

Residents in an additional 4 Local Government Areas (LGAs) can now dispose of flood-affected items at landfill sites without incurring the waste levy fee:

• Campbelltown
• Lismore
• Northern Beaches
• Port Stephens

There are now 26 areas where the waste levy has been scrapped.

View the media release.

The waste levy waiver is extended to another 10 areas to further support communities grappling with the aftermath of heavy rainfall and flooding. These local government areas (LGAs) are:

• Blacktown
• Byron
• Central Coast
• Clarence Valley
• Dungog
• Hornsby
• Lake Macquarie
• Maitland
• Mid-Coast
• The Hills

Visit the media release.

Find Flood clean-up assistance and advice.

Recovery Assistance Points (RAPs) have been established at:

• Thirroul District Community Centre & Library, 352-358 Lawrence Hargrave Drive
• Warrawong Community Centre, 7-9 Greene Street.

View the media release.

Visit the Recovery map to check operating hours of open recovery centres.

Disaster assistance has been extended to the local government areas (LGAs) of Blacktown, Byron Bay, Central Coast, Clarence Valley, Dungog, Gwydir, Hornsby, Lake Macquarie, Lithgow, Maitland, Mid-Coast, Oberon, The Hills and Yass Valley.

These measures will aid the recovery of communities affected by the storms and floods from 1 April 2024.

When a Disaster Declaration has been made, initial support for individuals includes:

• immediate financial assistance (including small cash payments and direct material aid to cover food, clothing, personal items and emergency accommodation, clean-ups for senior residents or homes with asbestos)
• grants for essential household contents
• grants for essential structural repairs to homes.

Grant applicants' income and assets are tested to ensure they meet eligibility criteria (broadly equivalent to the Age Pension test).

Disaster Relief Grants

Disaster Relief Grants support those most in need and least able to return their homes to a safe and habitable condition after a disaster. The grants act as a safety net for the most vulnerable people in our communities, to help them in their recovery and to return to a basic standard of living. Applicants must meet eligibility criteria to receive the grants.

Stamp duty relief for replacement of motor vehicles

Stamp duty relief may be provided on the replacement of motor vehicles written off due to a declared disaster. Visit Revenue NSW or phone 1300 139 814

Temporary accommodation

Temporary emergency accommodation may be available for those who have no other means.

Crisis and mental health support

Specialist clinicians can be contacted by calling the NSW Mental Health Line on 1800 011 511

Recovery centres

Face-to-face assistance is available at NSW recovery centres which may be established in areas where Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements have been activated. For locations visit this map of recovery centres. 

Support for organisations

Financial support is available for small businesses, non-profits and primary producers, including:

• concessional interest rate loans to small businesses and primary producers
• concessional interest rate loans and grants to non-profit organisations
• assistance to sporting and recreation clubs
• loans to non-profit organisations
• freight subsidies for primary producers.

Councils

Local councils can help direct residents to dispose of rubbish and other waste. Find your local council website for guidance. Councils may also be able to provide assistance with:

• clean-up costs
• emergency works to get eligible public assets functioning to an acceptable level, or other reconstruction works so that eligible public assets are permanently restored.

Two further recovery centres will open from Wednesday 10 April to help locals who were affected by storms and flooding – one in Windsor and one in Wilberforce.

Services at the recovery centres will include assistance with:

• assessing what financial support is available, and applying
• temporary accommodation
• legal advice
• replacement of damaged or lost ID and other government documents
• mental health.

Visit the Recovery map for address information and opening hours.

The waste levy fee has been scrapped for another 7 Local Government Areas (LGAs) where residents are cleaning up after flooding.

People in the following areas will not be charged the fee to dispose of flood-related waste and debris:

• Blue Mountains
• Camden
• Liverpool
• Penrith
• Sutherland
• Wingecarribee
• Wollondilly.

This is in addition to the Hawkesbury, Wollongong, Shoalhaven, Shellharbour and Kiama LGAs.

Two recovery centres will open from Thursday 11 April to help locals who were affected by storms and flooding.

Services at the recovery centres will include assistance with:

• assessing what financial support is available, and applying
• temporary accommodation
• legal advice
• replacement of damaged or lost ID and other government documents
• mental health.

Visit the Recovery map for address information and opening hours.

Drivers and passengers are being urged to plan their journeys to work and school, or consider working from home.

Major impacts are still being experienced across the state’s road and public transport network after last week’s storms.

For the latest traffic information and to plan your trip visit Live Traffic NSW 

The NSW Government has lifted the waste levy fee for residents disposing of flood-damaged waste in these local government areas: 

• Wollongong
• Shoalhaven
• Shellharbour
• Kiama
• Hawkesbury.

This means people will not be charged when they take materials to landfill sites (local landfill gate fee may still apply). 

The exemption applies to waste on public and private land and covers damaged building materials, furniture, gardening debris and any other flood-related products. It does not apply to recycled materials.

Recovery Centres will be established later this week in Windsor and in the Illawarra (one in North and one in South Wollongong). Mental health support and other local services will be available from organisations such as Red Cross and Service NSW.

To speak to someone on the phone about disaster assistance, call Service NSW on 13 77 88

For mental heath support, call the NSW Mental Health Line on 1800 011 511

Disaster assistance is available in the Blue Mountains, Camden, Hawkesbury, Kiama, Liverpool, Penrith, Shellharbour, Shoalhaven, Sutherland, Upper Lachlan, Wingecarribee, Wollondilly and Wollongong Local Government Areas (LGAs) following the impact of flooding from 5 April 2024.

The assistance measures announced on Sunday will support affected communities as they begin clean up and recovery.