Bushfire Support For Impacted Tablelands Residents

Tablelands residents whose homes have been impacted by the bushfires can now receive help through the Personal Hardship Assistance Scheme and Essential Services Safety and Reconnection Scheme.

Support is being provided by the Australian and Queensland Governments through the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) and has been extended to residents in:

Herberton, Innot Hot Springs, Kalunga, Millstream, Moomin, Mount Garnet, and Silver Valley in the TRC region
Irvinebank and Watsonville in the MSC area.

The Personal Hardship Assistance Scheme provides $180 for individuals and up to $900 for a family of five or more to cover the costs of essential items such as food, clothing and medicine.

Uninsured residents can also access income-tested grants up to $5000 per household through the Essential Services Safety and Reconnection Scheme to inspect and reconnect damaged services like electricity, gas and water.

‘The fires prompted emergency alerts and the evacuation of residents from dwellings in Silver Valley and Watsonville on Wednesday, and Irvinebank and Innot Hot Springs on Friday. This support will help impacted locals with emergency assistance to get back on their feet, including for food, clothing and reconnecting power and water at home,’ said Federal Minister for Emergency Management Murray Watt.

‘Emergency services and state government agencies including the Queensland Reconstruction Authority are working together with Tablelands Regional Council and Mareeba Shire Council to support the recovery of communities impacted by bushfires.

‘I would also like to welcome and thank the emergency services officers from Victoria and New Zealand who have arrived to provide much needed respite to those who have battled these fires for the past two weeks,’ said Acting Premier and minister responsible for the Queensland Reconstruction Authority Steven Miles.

For more information on disaster assistance, eligibility and how to apply visit qld.gov.au/disasterhelp.

To learn more about DRFA support head to Queensland Reconstruction Authority.