The Federal and NSW Governments have finally announced small business and primary producer grants for those impacted by Tropical Cyclone Alfred and the more recent floods around Taree.

For Lismore business owners and those in the Northern Rivers (Ballina, Byron, Richmond Valley, Kyogle and Tweed), the announcement is welcome, but it is also three months after the event. And there is still uncertainty.

The support has been made available under the joint Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA), with the new funding to provide immediate and longer-term assistance for individuals, families and communities affected by flooding.

The support includes: 

• Grants of up to $25,000 for eligible small businesses (with fewer than 20 employees) and non-profit organisations to help clean up and restore their business.
• Grants of up to $25,000 for eligible primary producers directly impacted by flooding to help with clean-up and getting their operations back on track.
• Grants of up to $10,000 for eligible rural landholders to assist with clean-up, repairs and recovery work, including fixing damaged fences, infrastructure or equipment affected by East Coast severe weather and flooding.
• A $5 million program to clear drainage on private land following Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
• A $180 hardship payment for individuals, capped at $900 for households of five or more, to help cover essential items like food, clothing and medicine following the recent flood event.

What isn't certain is that the criteria will include loss of revenue when local businesses were asked to evacuate certain parts of Lismore, like the CBD, South and North Lismore.

The wording on the NSW Government's website says, "Small businesses (with fewer than 20 employees) and non-profit organisations may also be eligible for recovery grants of up to $25,000 to help clean up and restore their businesses. Applications and more information, including eligibility criteria, will be available soon via the Service NSW website."

Lismore Mayor Steve Krieg told the Lismore App, "This is something that I've certainly been strongly advocating for with Janelle (Saffin), who's been very acutely aware of the issue with their small businesses.

"I don't really want to make too much comment until we see the criteria. But as I said, I know the premier was here for four or five days. He was very acutely aware of the trauma that cyclone Alfred caused our community through the packing up and then the re-establishment of those businesses over the course of, I think it was, about seven or eight days that people were out of business for. And we have to remember we were ordered to evacuate out of the CBD.

"They have to put boundaries and criteria around these grants, and that's understandable. But we'll just wait and see. I'm certainly anxiously awaiting the criteria to see the scope."

Information on how to apply will be made available over the coming days at www.nsw.gov.au/floodrecoveryupdates.