Disaster criteria not met
THE South Burnett will not be disaster declared, after the storm damage failed to meet criteria set by the State and Federal Governments.
In a statement Mayor Keith Campbell said the council had been working with the Queensland Reconstruction Authority (QRA), state agencies and community groups to gather detailed information to help assess damage and impact the recent storms have had on the local community and industries.
“Based on the information provided to date, council has determined, after reviewing the criteria set by Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA), that the threshold for the activation has not been met for this event,” Cr Campbell said.
“It is unfortunate that our circumstances have not triggered financial assistance under the Commonwealth NDRRA guidelines, however I encourage affected residents to make contact with council to discuss other assistance that may be available to them.
“Council has held meetings to determine local agency support for affected residents in the region who need assistance. Council will continue to work alongside impacted communities to understand the full extent of the impact of recent events.”
Cr Campbell said there were other forms of assistance available from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.
“Where a primary producer is in an area not activated for NDRRA assistance, but has suffered significant damage from a natural disaster, they are able to apply for an Individual Disaster Stricken Property (IDSP) declaration,” he said.
“To obtain an IDSP declaration, please contact DAF on 13 25 23 to arrange an IDSP inspection by a DAF officer.”