Freight industry workers and owner-drivers could be eligible for up to 13 weeks of income support as a result of ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the assistance earlier today as the weather event brought destructive winds, localised flooding and significant rainfall to parts of south-east Queensland and northern NSW. Some parts of the east coast have received rainfall totals in excess of 800 millimetres.
Earlier this afternoon the deluge had closed the Warrego Highway in multiple locations between Brisbane and Toowoomba and the Cunningham was closed to all traffic between Amberley and Aratula.
The Pacific Motorway was the primary detour for heavy vehicles heading into South East Queensland from the south.
The Disaster Recovery Allowance will be available in:
- 14 Local Government Areas in Queensland – Brisbane, Fraser Coast, Gold Coast, Gympie, Ipswich, Lockyer Valley, Logan, Moreton Bay, Noosa, Redland, Scenic Rim, Somerset, Southern Downs and Sunshine Coast;
- 17 Local Government Areas in New South Wales – Armidale, Ballina, Bellingen, Byron, Clarence Valley, Coffs Harbour, Dungog, Glen Innes Severn, Kempsey, Kyogle, Lismore, Mid-Coast, Nambucca, Port Macquarie-Hastings, Richmond, Tenterfield and Tweed as well as the locality of Lord Howe Island, including any islands within a 3 Nautical Mile radius.
It is available to individuals who live or work in these declared areas and have lost some or all of their income due to the disaster.
To be eligible for the Disaster Recovery Allowance, a person’s income must have fallen below the average Australian weekly income as a result of the floods.
Applications will open at 2pm local time, Tuesday, March 11.
Before they claim, people can check their eligibility on the Services Australia website at:
servicesaustralia.gov.au/natural-disaster-support.
The easiest way to claim is online through myGov.
If people need help to claim, they can call the Australian Government Emergency Information Line on 180 22 66.
“We’re working with every level of government to make sure people in Queensland and New South Wales affected by Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred get the help they need straight away,” Albanese said.