Dedicated community recovery centres are being set up across New South Wales to provide face-to-face support for residents affected by the recent severe storm and flood events.
Resilience NSW is opening up recovery centres in areas where emergency evacuation orders have been lifted, starting in Murwillumbah today.
Recovery centres are staffed by expert personnel who help flood impacted residents find support, financial assistance and information available. The assistance includes:
- Clean-up services;
- Financial assistance;
- Insurance and legal support;
- Support for businesses; and
- Mental health and wellbeing services.
For those wanting to be assisted remotely, Service NSW is operating an information service via www.service.nsw.gov.au, and with Customer Care specialists available on the phone via 13 77 88.
Premier Dominic Perrottet said more face-to-face recovery centres will be set up across the state as floodwaters receded, and regions transitioned from response into clean-up and recovery.
“Our emergency services staff and volunteers have done a tremendous job during this flood emergency and now as the water recedes in some areas, attention must turn to clean-up and recovery,” Mr Perrottet said.
“An important part of that process is standing up these Recovery Centres, ensuring communities have local access to face-to-face services where they can ask questions, find support and be guided through the various grants and programs by an expert care specialist.”
Deputy Premier Paul Toole said the NSW Government is allocating all available resources to kick-start the clean up and recovery effort.
“Nothing can replace a real person who can listen to your story, understand the challenges you face, and link you in with a range of services to meet your unique needs – that is what these centres provide,” Mr Toole said.
“We have commenced the clean-up with taskforce teams now going from home to home and business to business, hosing them out, removing debris, and making them safe for communities to return.”
Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience Steph Cooke said a number of Local Government Areas had been declared as disaster areas and would have access to all of the available supports.
“As the flood waters recede, these recovery centres will provide a vital link between the community and the support they so desperately need,” Ms Cooke said.
“Once the immediate threat has passed, recovery centres will be stood up to ensure everyone who needs help has easy access to short, medium and long-term support. And they will stay open for as long as necessary.”
A full list of currently open centres is available at: https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/floods/recovery-centres-and-hubs