C03/2003 Amendment to ACT Emergency Financial Relief Assistance

Purpose

The purpose of this departmental instruction is to amend the background information contained in previous departmental instruction C02-2003 – ACT Emergency Financial Relief Assistance.

Background

On Monday 20 — th January, the ACT Chief Minister, Jon Stanhope, announced that immediate assistance would be made available to people who have been made homeless as a consequence of the recent ACT bush fires.

Initial short-term assistance has been available to those who have been required to leave their homes.  An amount of $75 has been made available to people for immediate personal expenses.

At that time, further assistance was offered of $10,000 per household for essential household and personal items for those householders whose homes have been destroyed or are no longer habitable, where insurance is not available.

Late last week this announcement was revised and assistance is now available as:

• $75 available to people for immediate personal expenses; and
• $5,000 per household for all households who are owner occupiers or renters in the ACT whose homes are uninhabitable; and
• a further $5,000 per household (a total of $10,000) for those who do not have household contents insurance.

The link below provides additional information.

http://www.esb.act.gov.au/med — i — a/fireinfo/disasterapplic.doc

Assessment

The assessment of this assistance remains the same as per the original instructions contained in DI C02/2003

Contact

Should you have any further queries please contact Kirrily Williams in National Office on (02) 6289 6525.