North Queenslanders impacted by bush fires will be able to apply for much-needed financial assistance as part of a Personal Hardship Assistance Scheme and Essential Services Safety and Reconnection Scheme.
Residents in Tablelands Regional Council and Mareeba Shire Council areas will be eligible for $180 emergency assistance for individuals, with up to $900 available for a family of five or more.
These Personal Hardship Assistance grants are available to cover the costs of essential items like food, clothing and medicine.
Uninsured residents can also access income-tested grants up to $5000 per household through the Essential Services Safety and Reconnection Scheme.
The income-tested grants will go towards inspecting and reconnecting damaged services like electricity, gas and water.
"The fires prompted emergency alerts and the evacuation of residents from dwellings in Silver Valley and Watsonville on Wednesday, and Irvinebank and Innot Hot Springs on Friday," Federal Minister for Emergency Management Murray Watt said.
"This support will help impacted locals with emergency assistance to get back on their feet, including for food, clothing and reconnecting power and water at home."
The Australian and Queensland Governments grants will be allocated through the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) to Tabelands residents in Herberton, Innot Hot Springs, Kalunga, Millstream, Moomin, Mount Garnet, and Silver Valley in the Tablelands Regional Council area, and Mareeba residents in Irvinebank and Watsonville.
"Emergency services and state government agencies including the Queensland Reconstruction Authority are working together with Tablelands Regional Council and Mareeba Shire Council to support the recovery of communities impacted by bush fires," Acting Premier and minister responsible for the Queensland Reconstruction Authority Steven Miles said.
"I would also like to welcome and thank the emergency services officers from Victoria and New Zealand who have arrived to provide much needed respite to those who have battled these fires for the past two weeks."
For more information on disaster assistance, eligibility and how to apply visit www.qld.gov.au/disasterhelp.
To learn more about DRFA support, visit the Queensland Reconstruction Authority website.
