Support After ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred
Over the last week and a bit, I have worked alongside so many of you to provide hands-on assistance to families and their businesses across the Eudlo township, which has borne the brunt of ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred and the subsequent flooding.
I’ve also been working with locals to make it clear to the State and Federal Governments that we need additional funding for Eudlo, Palmwoods and Nambour. Thank you to those who sent me photos of their flood-affected properties to support the case. This added significant weight to my push for more funding.
I’m pleased to advise that after a significant amount of pressure, we have finally secured further financial assistance from the Federal Government for the communities of Eudlo and Palmwoods.
The Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment (AGDRP) is now approved for those residents who were significantly flood affected.
AGDRP funding amounts to $1,000 per eligible resident and $400 per eligible child. This funding is for people who suffered serious damage to the home or injury as a result of Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
This payment is only available to eligible residents in Palmwoods and Eudlo, within Fisher.
If a person has suffered a loss of income as a direct result, they may also be eligible for the Australian Government’s Disaster Recovery Allowance (DRA), which offers up to 13 weeks of income support for workers and sole traders depending on their personal circumstances.
Residents can check their eligibility for the AGDRP and DRA on the Services Australia website at: servicesaustralia.gov.au/disastersupport
Claims for AGDRP will open at 2pm local time today (Friday 14 March 2025).
The quickest way to claim is online through myGov. If people need help to claim, they can call the Australian Government Emergency Information Line on 180 22 66.
To change or pause Centrelink debt repayments, affected people can do so online or in the mobile app (through the Money You Owe Service), or they can call 1800 076 072.
At a State Government level, the following assistance is available:
If someone has lost essential services such as power, gas, water and sewerage for more than 5 days, they may be eligible for the Essential Services Hardship Assistance: a payment of between $150 - $750 depending on household size.
If someone needs help to cover the costs of emergency essentials like food clothing and medicine, they may be eligible for the Personal Hardship Assistance: a payment of between $180 - $900 depending on household size.
If someone has lost essential household contents like bed linen or whitegoods, they may be eligible for the Essential Household Contents Grant: a payment of between $1,765 - $5,300 depending on household size.
If someone’s home has become structurally unsafe to live in, they may be eligible for the Structural Assistance Grant: uninsured, low-income owner occupiers can receive up to $80,000 to help repair home to make it safe, secure and habitable.
Access to this support is via the Queensland Government website at Tropical Cyclone Alfred March 2025 | Community support | Queensland Government
Finally, I want to take a moment to thank our community. For the last week and a bit, I have been doing my best to assist in whatever capacity I can – and what makes me very grateful and very proud to be a Federal Member in this neck of the woods is the indelible community spirit that I encounter every day.
