The NSW Opposition is calling on the State Government to increase support for residents displaced by the devastating floods in the mid-north coast and hunter regions, after the announcement of ‘pod’ homes for primary producers.
NSW Nationals Leader, Dugald Saunders has raised questions around what he says is the narrow eligibility criteria for the pod homes and why more people weren’t included under the program.
“While we can acknowledge this temporary housing is a start, it won’t help anywhere near enough people when you consider more than a thousand buildings were deemed uninhabitable,” Mr Saunders said.
“The May floods left a path of destruction across several communities tearing through people’s lives and livelihoods, and while I’ll always welcome support for farmers, this should be extended to cover anyone who is unable to return to their homes right now.
“It’s been 10 weeks since this life altering event and the Minns Government’s response has been excruciatingly slow and too complicated for people to be able to access the help they so desperately need.”
The self-contained pods are designed for use in rural environments, and are equipped with generators and water tanks, allowing them to operate independently of existing utilities and infrastructure.
Eligible primary producers can apply for up to two pods for a maximum of 12 months.
The guidelines for the pods state you must be ‘uninsured for flood’ and the program ‘does not aim to support people who are not dependent on farming operations as their primary source of income’.
Shadow Minister for the North Coast and Acting Shadow Minister for Flood Recovery, Gurmesh Singh said those impacted have “had enough of the red tape”.
“The last thing people need when they are trying to get back on their feet is more unnecessary regulations and paperwork stopping them from moving forward,” Mr Singh said.
“By imposing such stringent guidelines, it feels like the Government is trying to force people to fit into a very narrow set of rules, instead of assessing producers and residents on a case-by-case basis and figuring out what they actually need to survive.
“The Government needs to ensure everyone and anyone who’s been impacted gets every support available so they can recover properly and build back better into the future,” he said.
