The Rural Financial Counselling Service (NSW Northern Region) has compiled a detailed list of the assistance available to flood-affected individuals, primary produces and small businesses.
It contains information on assistance programs offered by the Federal and State Governments as well as other agencies and organisations.
Tunglebung Creek Road will re-open to traffic this afternoon after work crews completed repairs to a flood-damaged bridge on the road.
Work to replace the failed culvert on Dyraaba Road also started today. Progress so far has been better than expected and the work crew is hopeful the project will be completed by the end of the week. In the meantime, a detour via Old Dyraaba Road remains in place.
Other roads that remain closed that have detours in place are:
Capeen Creek Road is the only road that is closed, isolating residents. There are two load limited bridges between Old Bonalbo and the flood-affected bridge. Council is still working on the first of two side-tracks that will allow us to access the damaged bridge. Council expects to move on to the second bridge by the end of the week.
The situation on the Bruxner Highway, Kyogle Road and Summerland Way remains unchanged.
The Bruxner Highway continues to be restricted to one lane at two locations west of Mummulgum. Landslips have closed one lane of the highway on the Mallanganee Range and near Rogers Road east of Tabulam. Both lane closures are expected to remain in place for some time.
Kyogle Road at the Cawongla Range is closed to all traffic from 8.30am to 3.30 pm on weekdays. It continues to be open to one-lane of traffic outside of these hours and is open all weekend.
Summerland Way is restricted to one lane of traffic at Burnetts. The single lane closure will be in place for some time.
Council continues to assess its road and bridge network for flood damage, and asks motorists to drive to the condition of the roads.
We ask for residents’ patience while we work through this titanic task and urge people to report any issues they come across by phoning 6632 1611 during business hours or 6626 6800 after hours. You can also email council@kyogle.nsw.gov.au or report an issue via the website at https://www.kyogle.nsw.gov.au/…/jobs-news…/contact/
In a move designed to provide people with a wider range of safe housing options, Kyogle Council has revoked its temporary accommodation policy.
The removal of the policy will also give people displaced by natural disasters and who require temporary accommodation more options while they await more permanent housing.
Introduced in 2013, the temporary accommodation policy permitted landholders to live in temporary accommodation – sheds, caravans, relocatable homes, tiny homes – on their properties for just 12 months and only while a permanent dwelling was under construction.
Council unanimously resolved at its 14 March Ordinary Meeting to revoke the policy in response to the ongoing housing affordability crisis and the unprecedented February floods which have left up to 6,000 homes across the Northern Rivers uninhabitable.
Council’s Acting Director Planning and Environmental Services Amanda Clark said the Temporary Accommodation Policy was introduced before the housing crisis and did not take into account the wide range of living arrangements land owners had pursued since then.
Ms Clark said the policy had also effectively stopped Council from helping people, who were living in temporary dwellings on their property without approval, address health, safety and environmental risks, particularly in regard to water supply and waste disposal.
With the cancellation of the policy, Council will fall back on the Local Government Act 1993 and associated regulations which allow people to live in temporary accommodation on their property as long as they have Council approval and it meets set standards designed to manage health and safety risks.
The legislation does not limit the location of the temporary accommodation or the length of time people can live in it.
Kyogle Council Mayor Cr Kylie Thomas said Council was taking decisive action to help people in housing crisis and those displaced by the floods.
“This is immediate action from Councillors in response to the current housing issues,” Cr Thomas said.
“It provides a pathway for staff to work with residents to help them find a way out of the housing crisis and achieve safe, and healthy living arrangements.”
What is your vision for the Kyogle LGA?
Council has started work on a new Community Strategic Plan, or CSP, for Kyogle and the villages and wants the community to have a voice in what it says.
The purpose of the CSP is to set out the community’s vision for the future and identify what Council, and its partners, will do to achieve those goals.
This is a community-informed plan, so we need your input.
To have your say, complete the community survey which is available online by following this link.
Paper copies of the survey are also available by calling 02 6632 1611. Council staff will be happy to send a copy to you in the mail.
The survey is only one way Council will be engaging with the community during the development of this plan.
Council staff will be out in the community during April and May meeting with community groups and setting up stalls at community markets.
Keep an eye out and come and have a conversation.
Council welcomes your input and feedback at any time. Once the plan is drafted, it will be put on public exhibition so you can provide further feedback before the Council will adopt the final plan in June this year.
🔶🔶 KYOGLE RECOVERY CENTRE OPEN THURSDAY, 17 MARCH 2022 🔶🔶
The Kyogle Recovery Centre in the vacant shopfront at the Kyogle Memorial Institute Hall will operate Thursday, 17 March 2022 from 9am-5pm .
Services available are:
✅ Service NSW, 9am-5pm
✅ Department of Justice and Communities, 11am-5pm.
✅ Resilience NSW, 9am-5pm
✅ Business Concierge, 9am-5pm
✅ Service Australia 10am-5pm
The Kyogle Recovery Centre will remain open until 31 March.
Council has selected the successful applicants in the current round of the Voluntary House Buy Back Scheme.
The scheme provides funding for Council to buy back houses identified in the Kyogle Flood Study as being at risk.
Council hopes to be able to run another round of the voluntary buy back scheme in the latter half of 2022.
Council recently completed the buy back of two properties in Walters Street and will be commencing the purchase of two more houses in Norton Street.
Funding for the Buy Back Scheme is provided through the NSW Department of Planning Industry and Environment under its Floodplain Management Program.
The Kyogle Recovery Centre in the vacant shopfront at the Kyogle Memorial Institute Hall will operate from 9am-5pm tomorrow (Wednesday 16 March 2022).
Services available will include:
☑️ Service NSW, 9-5pm
☑️ Department Justice and Communities, 9-5pm.
☑️ Resilience NSW, 9-5pm
☑️ Business Concierge, 9-5pm
☑️ Service Australia, 10-5pm
☑️ Salvation Army, 9-5pm
☑️ Disaster Response Legal Service, 9-5pm
The Kyogle Recovery Centre will remain open until 31 March.
One lane of the Kyogle Road on the Cawongla Range has re-opened to traffic this afternoon.
Traffic lights are controlling the flow of traffic past the landslip, and motorists are advised to drive with caution.
The road will remain open all weekend. It will be closed again from Monday-Friday from 8.30am to 3.30pm each day to allow works to continue to remediate the site.
The Bruxner Highway at the Mallanganee Road is expected to open to one lane of traffic Saturday afternoon at the earliest. Traffic flow will be controlled by lights once the highway opens.
Roads that remain closed that have detours in place are:
• Bruxner Highway at the Mallanganee Range (works have begun, may open at the weekend)
• Dyraaba Road (grading the northern end of Dyraaba Road has started)
• Lillian Rock Road (the landslip has deteriorated and Council is assessing whether temporary solution is still achievable)
• Tunglebung Creek Road
• Geneva Street, Kyogle
Roads (isolating residents):
• The slip on Dugans Road has deteriorated again, and works to reopen the road will continue next week.
• Capeen Creek Road remains closed at the last bridge. There are two load limited bridges between Old Bonalbo and the last bridge. Council has to construct side tracks around these two bridges before we can repair the damaged bridge. This work is expected to take a couple of weeks to complete.
Residents in these areas that need assistance should contact the SES either by phone 132 500 or via the SES website https://www.ses.nsw.gov.au/
Council is still assessing its road network and appreciates your help in identifying problems. You can report issues by:
• Calling Kyogle Council business hours 02 6632 1611 after hours and emergency number 02 6626 6800
• Emailing council@kyogle.nsw.gov.au
• On line at https://www.kyogle.nsw.gov.au/…/jobs-news…/contact/
The Disaster Relief Grant helps people to recover from the effects of a disaster and re-establish a basic standard of living. It is not provided to replace insurance or compensate for losses. You may be eligible for financial support if the following apply:
Phone 13 77 88 and ask about the Disaster Relief Grant administered by Resilience NSW.
This is an NSW Government grant, available at any time to eligible individuals or households. It is administered by Resilience NSW. For further details follow this link.
Disaster Recovery Payment: $1,000 for adults and $400 for children
The Disaster Recovery Payment is a one-off, non-means tested payment of $1,000 for adults and $400 for children, who have been seriously injured, lost their homes or whose homes have been directly damaged, or the immediate family members of a person who has lost their life, as a direct result of the storms and floods. This is an Australian Government disaster assistance payment.
Visit Services Australia by following this link to find out if you are eligible or phone 180 22 66.
The NSW Government and Australian Government are working together to provide flood assistance and support.
Over 70 local government areas (LGAs) have been declared disaster areas since November 2021 and are eligible for support.
The assistance available includes:
Businesses impacted by storms and floods from January to March 2022 can request to be notified when financial support is available from the NSW Government by completing an online form.
For more information and to stay up to date on all available business support, please visit the storms and floods business information hub on the Service NSW website.
Local Land Services teams are on the ground to help connect land managers with the services and support they need right now.
The NSW Department of Primary Industries and Local Land Services work together to manage the effects of emergencies on agriculture, livestock and our community as Agriculture and Animal Services Functional Area – AASFA.
They offer a dedicated hotline for producers to call to report damage and stock losses, as well as request assistance. The AASFA Hotline is 1800 814 647.
Available help includes:
Primary producers who are now starting to gain access to their paddocks are encouraged to report damage, including stock and fodder losses, as well as damage to farms, fencing and other farm infrastructure.
Animal Welfare
Floodwaters and wet conditions can cause a wide range of livestock health issues, even for some time after the waters have subsided.
Livestock that have been standing in water for some time, or that have been submerged, are most at risk of developing disease issues and should be monitored closely.
Staff will assess animals and euthanise those that are too badly injured for treatment in consultation with the owner. Animals may still require care by a commercial veterinarian rather than government vets once assessed. Any ongoing treatment required by a commercial veterinarian will be at the cost of the owner.
Safe disposal of drowned livestock
Members of the public who encounter a deceased animal can report it to the Agriculture and Animal Services hotline on 1800 814 647.
Fences down / fence repair
Where damaged fencing creates an immediate public safety hazard, landholders should contact the Agricultural and Animal Services Hotline on 1800 814 647.
Primary producers whose fencing has been damaged may be eligible for Special Disaster Grants of up to $75,000 to help with the cost of repairs. Contact the NSW Rural Assistance Authority for more details on 1800 678 593.
Funding for landholders – Loans, Grants, Subsidies
NSW Rural Assistance Authority (RAA) 1800 678 593 is administering the following:
Funding arrangements for declared natural disasters with category explanations are listed here> https://www.raa.nsw.gov.au/disaster-assistance/declarations
• Paddys Flat Road (Council expects to be able to inspect the road tomorrow)
• Dyraaba Road (Council will begin grading the northern end of Dyraaba Road this week to make the alternate route safer)
• Lillian Rock Road (work will start next week)
• Tunglebung Creek Road
• Geneva Street, Kyogle
There are now just eight flood damaged roads that remain closed with detours in place.
These roads are:
Roads (isolating residents) Council expects to open this week:
Roads (isolating residents) Council expects to open before the end of the month include:
Residents in these areas that need assistance should contact the SES either by phone 132 500 or via the SES website https://www.ses.nsw.gov.au/
Council is still assessing its road network and appreciates your help in identifying problems. You can report issues by:
Council has re-opened Pines and Tabulam Roads today. There are now nine flood damaged roads that remain closed with detours in place.
These roads are:
Roads (isolating residents) Council opened today are:
Roads (isolating residents) Council expects to open this week:
Roads (isolating residents) Council expects to open before the end of the month include:
Residents in these areas that need assistance should contact the SES either by phone 132 500 or via the SES website https://www.ses.nsw.gov.au/
Council is still assessing its road network and appreciates your help in identifying problems. You can report issues by:
The situation with Council roads has not changed overnight. Council is continuing to work on flood damaged roads that remain closed with detours in place.
These roads are:
Roads (isolating residents) Council which are expected to be re-opened this week are:
Roads (isolating residents) Council expects to open before the end of next week include:
Residents in these areas that need assistance should contact the SES either by phone 132 500 or via the SES website https://www.ses.nsw.gov.au/
Council is still assessing its road network and appreciates your help in identifying problems. You can report issues by:
Residents are asked to still avoid all non-essential travel as we work to restore access and keep up to date with information as it comes to hand at https://www.livetraffic.com/
