Asia-Pacific

Australian flood victims get additional aid

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-01-05 13:11

SYDNEY -- Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and New South Wales (NSW) Premier Kristina Keneally Wednesday announced additional commonwealth-NSW government assistance for NSW primary producers and small businesses affected by flooding.  

Related readings:  US ready to offer flood aid to Australia: Clinton  Australian military flies in flood relief supplies  Australia's flood worsens, forcing more evacuations  Hundreds flee Australian flood disaster

The one-off grants worth up to 15,000 AU dollars (US$15,044) will be made available under the National Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRAA).

The government assistance helps primary producers with general clean up costs, purchase of fodder and replacement trading stock and repairs to damaged equipment.

It also helps small businesses affected by flooding to do repairs and get back to trading as soon as possible. Since last December, a total of 51 Local Government Areas in NSW have been declared natural disaster areas.

The federal government has said they would continue to work with the Keneally government to provide support to NSW communities as the recovery process continues.

Gillard urged flood-affected people to come forward and take up the grants.