Small businesses will receive $25,000 grants, while $1 million is earmarked for regional councils and $4 million is set aside for mental health recovery initiatives.
In addition, primary producers in the area will benefit from an $11.32 million funding boost.
These measures are part of a comprehensive $66 million government funding package responding to the aftermath of Koji.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese acknowledged the growing frequency and severity of extreme weather events in Australia, stating, “Australia is experiencing more extreme weather events, and they’re occurring more often, and with greater intensity.”
He added, “It is something that we’re having to deal with, but Australians are showing how resilient they are.”
Albanese emphasized the crucial role of local governments in providing immediate support, saying, “One of the things that we find at times like this, it is local government that is best positioned to really provide that immediate assistance.”
The PM said he was in ongoing talks with Queensland Premier David Crisafulli and assured flood-hit residents there was ”no politics” at play.
More funding could be imminent as local communities assess the damage, Minister for Emergency Management Kristy McBain said.
“I do want to make really clear there’s a range of things we still don’t know from this flood event,” McBain said.
“We’ll continue to work with the local council, with our embedded national emergency management agency officials here, and if there’s additional supports required.”
Hardship payments for flood-affected communities were announced after Koji made landfall over the weekend.
Support grants of $180 per person, or up to $900 for families of five or more, can be claimed to cover emergency food, clothing and medicine for residents in Clermont, McKinlay Shire, and parts of the Mackay region.
Three income-tested grants are also available to eligible uninsured residents in Clermont, McKinlay, Flinders, Richmond and Winton.
At least 31 local Queensland councils are receiving funding from the federal and state governments.
Another weather system is forming off the coast, which has a “high” chance of becoming a severe tropical cyclone early next week, according to the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM).
