Back Home flood grant now open

The $112 million package, co-funded by the NSW and Commonwealth governments, will provide one-off payments of $20,000 for owner-occupiers, $15,000 for landlords, and $5,000 for renters across the Hawkesbury, Ballina, Byron, Clarence Valley, Kyogle, Lismore, Richmond Valley and Tweed local government areas.

The grant provides payments to help people make critical repairs like fixing roofs, reconnecting utilities or replacing furniture and white goods.

More than 10,000 homes had been assessed as damaged, with more than 4,000 assessed as uninhabitable across the state.

Anyone who has registered already will receive an alert that the system is now taking formal application. More than 5,900 residents have already registered their interest in the “Back Home” grant.

Impacted households can apply on the Service NSW website or via the app, with support also available on 13 77 88.

The grant is also open to those with damaged households in suburbs that adjoin the hardest-hit council areas.

The funds can go towards any clean-up costs to restore housing to a habitable condition, including:           

• Inspection and safe reconnection of utilities, such as electrical, gas, water, hot water and sewerage equipment not otherwise the responsibility of utility companies
• Necessary replacement or repairs to damaged essential household goods such as refrigerators, ovens, washing machines and microwaves
• Necessary replacement or repairs to damaged equipment such as computers and tools
• Replacing other essential household contents
• Moving to a new property
• Necessary structural repairs including roof, flooring, walls and fitting replacement (owners)

In addition to the eight hardest-hit LGAs, the “Back Home” grant can be accessed by owners and renters with households in the following adjoining areas:

• Agnes Banks
• Barcoongere
• Berambing
• Bilpin
• Bucketty
• Cattai
• Coombadjha (2460)
• Dirty Creek
• Halfway Creek
• Hernani
• Leets Vale
• Lower Portland
• Maraylya
• Newton Boyd
• Putty
• Sherwood
• Tabulam
• Ten Mile Hollow
• The Gulf
• Upper Corindi (2456)
• Urbenville
• Vineyard
• Wisemans Ferry
• Woodenbong

Low-income earners who are successful in their application for the Disaster Relief Grant (DRG) are unable to apply for the Back Home grant. However, anyone who doesn’t qualify for the DRG can apply for the Back Home.