Northern Territory Government

Mar 16, 2023

Disaster assistance to flood-affected Territorians is set to be delivered by the Federal and Territory Governments. The Australian Defence Force evacuated over 400 people by air, while more than 600 people are being cared for at the Howard Springs Centre for National Resilience. Financial support has also begun rolling out for residents affected by severe flooding in the communities and surrounding homelands in Kalkaringi, Daguragu and Pigeon Hole following heavy rain and strong winds from a slow moving tropical low. The assistance is jointly funded by the NT and the Federal s under the Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements and includes: Personal hardship and distress payments for eligible affected residents Temporary accommodation assistance Rent relief for public housing tenants Support for local councils and residents to help with clean-up costs and the restoration of essential public assets. Federal Minister for Emergency Management, Murray Watt, said both levels of Government were working together to deliver the "best outcomes" for Territorians. View +2 Photos "We are working in lockstep with the Northern Territory Government to ensure assistance is delivered quickly on the ground," Minister Watt said. "We are monitoring conditions on the ground, whilst rolling out support as quickly as possible, and we'll continue to look at other types of assistance that may be needed. "These disaster assistance measures will support those displaced and experiencing hardship during the immediate recovery from this event, and we will continue to assist with the long term recovery process." Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, Natasha Fyles, said communities were dealt a "harsh blow". "The continuous heavy rain and flooding resulted in so many people having to be relocated to the Centre for National Resilience at Howard Springs," Minister Fyles said. "The Northern Territory Government is working with emergency services and recovery coordinators to undertake disaster impact assessments to determine the full extent of damage sustained from this event. "As the Territory Government, we have allocated $2.8 million towards our response and recovery. We are working with the Federal Government to ensure appropriate assistance continues to be provided to those people affected." Information on disaster assistance can be found on the Federal Government's Disaster Assist website, and the Northern Territory Government's emergency information and response Secure NT website. Share