Apply for the Flood Recovery Back Home Grant in Australia

Deadline: 20-Apr-23

If your home has been damaged by the February and March 2022 and/or June and July 2022 storms and floods, you may be eligible for a payment to help cover the costs of restoring your property to a habitable condition or replacing essential household items.

Objectives

• The Back Home Program (Program) is made by agreement between the Commonwealth and NSW Governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding arrangements (DRFA).
• Under the Program, Eligible Applicants will be provided financial support where they are for directly impacted by:
  • The NSW severe weather and flooding events commencing 22 February 2022 onwards (recorded under AGRN 1012), (Feb/March Event); and/or
  • The NSW severe weather and flooding events commencing 27 June 2022 onwards (recorded under AGRN 1025), (June/July Event), (together, the Eligible Disasters).
  • The Back Home Payments are intended as one-off payments for Eligible Applicants to help pay the costs of restoring housing to a Habitable Condition and/or replacing Essential Household Items where damaged as a direct result of the Eligible Disasters.

Funding Information

• Payments are available as follows:
  • $20,000 for owner-occupiers to repair or replace essential household items and/or restore housing to a habitable condition
  • $15,000 for owner-investors to restore housing to a habitable condition
  • $5,000 for tenants to repair or replace essential household items or relocate these items to a new residential property.

Eligible Properties

• Only one application per approved dwelling will be accepted.
• Where a property is leased, tenants may apply for $5,000 to replace essential household items and owner-investors may apply for $15,000 for essential structural repairs.
• Residential properties with shared living arrangements or with multiple owners or tenants, will need to designate one person to submit the application on behalf of all parties and distribute funds.
• Residential properties with one or more dwellings or residences on the same property separate from the main property will need to apply separately.
• If your home is a moveable dwelling, such as a caravan, motorhome, or relocatable home, you’ll need to have supporting documents to apply.
• Dwellings that are not situated on land (for example, houseboats), may be eligible in certain circumstances.

Eligible Payment Uses

• Payments may be used to:
  • Replace or repair whitegoods, kitchen and household appliances, household laundry and cleaning equipment, cooking utensils, essential personal communications devices, furniture and bedding
  • Restore or replace damaged roofing, flooring, walls, fittings and fixtures
  • Inspect and reconnect damaged utilities, including necessary replacement or repairs to electrical, gas, water, hot water, and sewerage equipment.
• Payments cannot be used to:
  • Build new infrastructure which did not exist prior to the floods
  • Tailor temporary accommodation pods/modules funded by the NSW Government
  • Replace or repair essential household items not stored or located at the eligible property
  • Replace or repair damaged items that are used for business or commercial purposes
  • Cover booking or rental costs for temporary or short-term accommodation or leasing of a new property.
  • Repair damage to external parts of a dwelling, including driveways and private roads, unless there are safe access issues or structural integrity impacts to the dwelling.

Eligibility Criteria

• An owner of, or a tenant that lives in (or lived in at the time of the floods), a damaged property located in a local government area (LGA) as follows:
  • February and March 2022 storms and floods (AGRN 1012): Armidale, Ballina, Bellingen, Blacktown, Blue Mountains, Byron, Central Coast, Cessnock, Clarence Valley, Coffs Harbour, Glen Innes Severn, Hawkesbury, Hornsby, Kyogle, Lismore, Lithgow, Penrith, Richmond Valley, Singleton, Tenterfield, The Hills, Tweed and includes the entirety of any suburb partly within these LGAs and partly within another LGA
  • June and July 2022 storms and floods (AGRN 1025): Blacktown, Camden, Canterbury-Bankstown, Central Coast, Cessnock, Fairfield, Hawkesbury, Hornsby, Liverpool, Maitland, Mid Coast, Penrith, Port Stephens, Singleton, Sutherland, The Hills, Wollongong and includes the entirety of any suburb partly within these LGAs and partly within another LGA
  • Unable to claim the costs of restoring the damaged property to a habitable condition or replacing essential household contents under an insurance policy, including if you’re:
  • Uninsured for severe weather and/or flood damage;
  • Insured for severe weather and/or flood damage but do not have sufficient funding from your insurance claim; or
  • Unable to claim for severe weather and/or flood damage
  • Ineligible for other, more comprehensive support measures available for those on low incomes and with limited assets.
  • You’re not eligible to apply if your insurance covers you completely for structural repairs or to replace essential household items.

For more information, visit NSW Governments.

For more information, visit https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/apply-flood-recovery-back-home-grant