More support was announced on Tuesday for flood-affected Victorians, including emergency hardship payments for eligible temporary visa holders, who were left out of the initial roll-out.
The payments of $580 per adult and $290 per child are available to temporary visa holders if there are ineligible for the personal hardship assistance program, but were unable to work due to flooding at their workplace.
It’s part of a further $152 million in funding through a collaboration of the Victorian and federal governments.
“The floods have impacted the whole community and we were very quick to roll out support for impacted people, to fund maybe lost contents of their fridge, or lost a pair of shoes, so as of today this has opened up to temporary visa holders,” Victorian Minister for Emergency Services Jaclyn Symes said.
“Really also inviting them into the relief centre because it’s not just financial support people need, the Ethnic Council’s there, there’s a lot of people around to make sure people’s needs are met.”
Ms Symes said a housing taskforce had been established and options were available to people who couldn’t return to their homes.
She encouraged people to contact the recovery hotline on 1800 560 760 to speak to someone about their personal circumstances.
“They’ll help with available financial assistance but importantly, if you’re displaced from your home and you need temporary accommodation, they’ll be able to assess your needs and identify a specific option for you,” she said.
“Whether we look at caravans and temporary housing in Shepparton is certainly on the table but there are also a lot of local options.”
Other support included in the package announced on Tuesday was funding to repair community organisations such as neighbourhood houses and men’s sheds, and other family services.
Councils will receive support to assess the damage to houses and businesses, and the statewide clean-up program will be expanded to make houses including rentals and small businesses safe from hazards including asbestos and electrical faults.
A one-off water bill rebate of $600 will be offered to urban customers who were inundated or had over-flood flooding, and $300 to other customers affected by flooding but who weren’t inundated.
The most impacted local councils will have further funding available to help with the clean-up and rebuild from the floods.
Up to 16 regional recovery hubs will be set up, providing access to vital services so people can get in-person help for relief payments and other support they may need — including those unable to access support online and culturally and linguistically diverse communities (CALD).
To ensure people who were affected by the floods know what support is available to them, targeted advertising will be rolled out to make information clear, with a focus on young people, CALD and First Nations communities.
To find support available to you visit www.vic.gov.au/emergency-recovery-victoria