Financial relief of $1000 per adult and $400 per child across 26 flood affected regions in Queensland and New South Wales has been announced by the Federal Government.
The Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment (AGDRP) is available for QLD residents in the following areas: Brisbane, Fraser Coast, Gold Coast, Ipswich, Lockyer Valley, Logan, Moreton Bay, Noosa, Redland, Scenic Rim, Somerset, South Burnett, Southern Downs, Sunshine Coast, and Toowoomba.
In NSW, the AGDRP is available to those in Ballina, Bellingen, Byron, Clarence Valley, Coffs Harbour, Kyogle, Lismore, Richmond Valley, and Tweed.
As flood waters have led to road closures in QLD and northern NSW, roadside retailers have become safe havens for stranded travellers.
Ampol in Caboolture opened its doors to more than 200 stranded people for more than 12 hours, with staff working through the night to look after everyone.
An Ampol spokesperson said: “We are so proud of our retail teams who have been working hard to support their local communities as an essential service during the current floods in QLD and NSW.
“One of the many stories coming from our stores is from our team in Caboolture, who sheltered more than 200 stranded families, couples and solo travellers for over 12 hours due to the A1 being closed off from floods.
“Our employees on site worked non-stop to keep those who they now call ‘their 200 closest friends’ fed, hydrated, and caffeinated through the night as the situation unfolded.
“Our thoughts are with those in the affected areas.”
Theo Foukkare, CEO of the Australian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS), said his thoughts are with the entire QLD and Northern NSW communities during these floods.
“We have had a large number of service stations completely inundated in both NSW and QLD, while others have suffered significant flooding with very high loss of product and damage to their pumps and external services.
“Service station operators in these areas unfortunately have experienced damage in previous major flooding events, and the local community combined with some government support always pulls through, demonstrating the resilience of our operators and amazing spirit of everyday Australians.”
The AGDRP is a one-off, non-means tested payment available to those who have suffered a significant loss, including a severely damaged property, destroyed home, or serious injury.
The Disaster Recovery Allowance (DRA) will also be provided to the 26 affected areas. This allowance provides up to 13 weeks payment for a loss of income due to a disaster at the maximum equivalent rate of Jobseeker Payment or Youth Allowance, dependant on personal circumstances.
Eligible residents can claim support via myGov or by calling Services Australia on 180 22 66.