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Twelve new recovery officers have joined the Rural Recovery Support Service (RRSS) on the North Coast.
They're among an extra 19 assigned to helping flood-impacted primary producers across the Far North Coast; North Coast; Mid North Coast; Greater Sydney; and South Coast.
Minister for Agriculture Dugald Saunders said the extra staff were brought on this month to help guide those who need it most.
"So many primary producers and rural landholders have done it tough in the past few years, facing an ongoing onslaught of extreme weather events," Mr Saunders said.
"This includes those who have endured multiple flooding events in the past 12 months, some of which were still under water when the next flood was on their doorstep or at the farm gate.
"When we have to deal with such devastation, we can feel overwhelmed about the next steps, so these recovery officers will bridge that gap and help make the process more seamless."
Critical role
The RRSS plays a critical role in linking affected primary producers and rural landholders to financial assistance and support services. They:
- prepare grant applications
- find the right technical advice
- access workshops and information on key recovery topics
- connect with industry experts
- navigate government systems and regulations to resolve complex issues involving multiple agencies
- link to a wide range of personal, business and financial services
Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience and Minister for Flood Recovery Steph Cooke, said the new recruits have been tasked with providing on-the-ground recovery support: "to communities and industries affected by this year's flooding, with the goal of helping primary producers get production up and going again.
"The Rural Recovery Support Service helps people navigate systems to allow them to access accommodation options, animal welfare advice, information about infrastructure replacement, deal with environmental matters and utilise health and wellbeing services."
The free service was initially established in 2019 after the Black Summer bush fires and then extended in 2021 due to the floods. It was activated again this year and will operate until 2024.
"We've got support on the table including the $75,000 Special Disaster Grant for primary producers, $25,000 Rural Landholder Grants and $100,000 Critical Producer Grants, with more than $202 million sent out the door in the past 12 months," Mr Saunders said.
Who to call
People concerned about livestock should call the hotline on 1800 814 647.
Access to support can be found via the Natural Disaster Assistance Guide, found on the Rural Recovery Support Service website.
Primary producers and rural landholders can access the RRSS by:
- calling 0448 077 648
- emailing flood.recovery@dpi.nsw.gov.au
- visiting a Recovery Centre
- or by viewing the Rural Recovery Support Service website.
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