The Greater Hume Shire Council in south-west New South Wales will be able to access emergency funding after the region was declared a natural disaster zone.
The council estimates $200,000 worth of infrastructure has been damaged by recent flooding, and residents, farmers, business owners and the council will now be able to seek financial assistance
Council general manager Steven Pinnuck says north-east parts of the region and the Henty district have been the worst affected, and says the declaration will come as a relief to property owners in those areas.
“From [the] council’s perspective it will provide an opportunity to obtain State Government funding to restore some of the roads that have been damaged and certainly restore the bridge that collapsed,” he said.
“But it would provide some … fodder subsidies for some farmers if they require it.”
Emergency Services Minister Steve Whan says the main damage has been to infrastructure.
“Particularly roads where you’ve had water going across, we often see culverts which get damaged when you’ve got a large volume of water going through,” he said.
“Two bridges in the Greater Hume Shire, where there’s been a lot of debris pushed up against the bridge, and that’s caused damage.
“This rain has been fantastic for farmers, it gives them the opportunity to plant some crops, increases the soil moisture and there’ll be some pasture growth before winter, but along with it comes a bit of damage.”