Parkes Electorate residents now eligible for AGDRP
13-April-2011
Residents in the flood affected local government areas of Bogan, Bourke, Brewarrina, Cobar, Coonamble, Dubbo, Gilgandra, Mid-Western, Narromine, Walgett, Warren, Warrumbungle and Wellington will now be eligible for the Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment (AGDRP) Federal Member for Parkes Mark Coulton has declared today.
The Attorney-General, Robert McClelland announced today that the areas that were previously unable to access the AGDRP in north western NSW now qualified for the payment.
“Areas in the Parkes Electorate have experienced flooding from November 2010 up until recently, with limited Government assistance available. This announcement will relieve a lot of pressure off families and residents in these areas.”
The AGDRP provides one off payments of $1000 for adults and $400 for children in areas that have been adversely affected by a major or widespread disaster.
“I was personally contacted by numerous community members who applied for the AGDRP; however their applications were rejected by Centrelink on the basis that their area had not been declared a natural disaster.”
Mr Coulton met with the Attorney-General in early March to request that these flood affected areas and communities be declared a natural disaster and in turn able to access the AGDRP immediately.
“Many of these communities were cut-off for several weeks by the flooding. Residents were until recently isolated, with many people living on properties requiring food drops, which they were required to pay out of their own pocket. Other residents were paying for accommodation in town so their children could attend school.”
“This announcement has been long-awaited and I am exceptionally pleased with the outcome. I encourage any people in these declared LGA’s who were directly affected by flooding to contact Centrelink.”
The AGDRP is available to people in declared areas:
· whose principal place of residence has been destroyed, or;
· whose principal place of residence sustained major damage, or;
· who was unable to gain access to their principal place of residence for a period of 24 hours or more, or;
· who was stranded in their principal place of residence for a period of 24 hours or more, or;
· whose principal place of residence was without electricity, water, gas, sewerage services or another essential service for at least 48 hours (a utility failure) and the utility failure was caused by damage to public or private infrastructure, or;
· who was seriously injured, or;
· who is the immediate family member of an Australian who died as a direct result of the disaster, or;
· who is a principal carer of a dependent child who has experienced any of the above.