NSW Labor is putting forward an immediate short-term 10 point plan to help with the recovery and rebuild of flood impacted communities and areas.
The recent major flooding has been devastating to people in the Northern Rivers, North Coast, Western Sydney, and across NSW. Homes and small businesses have been destroyed, farms devastated, livelihoods lost and in limbo, with a clean-up that will last months and a recovery that will take some years.
It is clear to the families and businesses of the flood impacted areas that both the Federal and the NSW State governments were too slow to act in their immediate response – and now they have been too slow in their support.
The business grant support process is painfully slow and the application process is tougher than it needs to be. So far only 252 applications out of over 7200 have been paid out. More needs to be done.
Families and businesses cannot wait this long to commence the process of rebuilding and getting on with their lives. They need certainty in these toughest of times.
It’s why Labor is calling on the government to consider these measures now, in the lead up to the Budget, and ensure there is proper support for families and businesses over the coming months to help people get back on their feet.
NSW Labor’s response plan includes:
FAMILIES AND BUSINESSES
- Waive local and state government fees and charges for residents and small businesses impacted by flood.
- Waive or defer payroll tax for small businesses in flood affected areas.
- NSW Government to urgently write to Federal Government to request JobKeeper for residents and businesses in flood affected areas.
- Targeted tourism campaign to encourage visitors back to the North Coast once they are ready; and a ‘Spend with Us’ campaign to advertise local businesses.
REBUILDING AND RECOVERY
- Waive stamp duty for people who need to buy new land or a new home, whether or not they relocate elsewhere.
- Increase the existing Grants for Essential Structural Repairs to Homes to $50,000 (like QLD have done), and allow the funds to be used for more than just “repair” (including for retrofit (increase the flood resilience of homes), house raising (stilts), or to put towards the purchase of new land or a new home).
- Cash flow assistance for policy holder to pay insurance excess on flood claims (recouped by government once the claim is paid), and create a dedicated team of case managers to help families and businesses process claims and manage disputes.
- NSW Government to consider whether buy-backs of properties in high risk areas are required, or whether the government needs to assist people in rebuilding and relocating by purchasing land for people / land swaps.
EMERGENCY SERVICES
- A one-off payment to SES branches for training and purchasing of new equipment to boost their support capabilities.
- Assistance to SES branches to update data bases and contacts for businesses and families in flood prone areas (as a number of businesses were unable to be contacted during the emergency).
These are common sense measures that will go a long way in aiding the rebuild of these communities in the short term.
NSW Labor is urging the Government not to forget the families, businesses and farmers who have lost everything in these floods. The NSW Parliament this week voted unanimously to establish an independent inquiry into the State and Federal governments’ response to the recent major flooding across New South Wales. It will be chaired by Mr Secord and will report by 9 August 2022.
