People adversely affected by Tropical Cyclone Lam in the Northern Territory in February 2015 are encouraged to finalise any outstanding claims for the Disaster Recovery Payment (DRP) before the approaching deadline.
Department of Human Services General Manager Hank Jongen said claims for DRP for the cyclone will close on 26 August 2015 so affected residents of Arnhem Land have only a limited time left to lodge a claim.
“We acknowledge it may have been an emotional time for some residents who have been busy with the clean-up and recovery, but time is now running out,’’ Mr Jongen said.
“The one-off DRP of $1,000 for eligible adults and $400 for each eligible child under the age of 16 is available to anyone who was adversely affected by the cyclone and meets the criteria.
“There have been more than 2,400 claims granted to residents affected by Tropical Cyclone Lam, worth more than $3,000,000.”
Department of Human Services Remote Services Manager Bud Walker said the efforts of staff coming together to help the local community in Arnhem Land was awe inspiring.
“Because of the extent of the damage, not only did we have staff from across the Northern Territory assisting on the ground, we also had some fly in from other states with a moment’s notice to assist people who had lost so much due to Tropical Cyclone Lam,” said Mr Walker.
“One of those staff members was a social worker from Western Australia, who experienced her own devastation when Tropical Cyclone Olwyn hit Carnarvon not long after she arrived in Arnhem Land.
“I admired the way she provided critical assistance to people in Arnhem Land before travelling back home to continue working in her home town.
“The fantastic thing about our staff is that they all pitch in to help when times get tough, regardless of where they are from in Australia.”
To lodge a claim, or for more information, phone the Australian Government Emergency Information line on 180 22 66 or visit humanservices.gov.au/disaster.