Seroja relief on offer for affected homeowners

Insured homeowners who suffered damage from cyclone Seroja are now eligible for joint Federal and State Government grants of up to $20,000 to help repair their properties.

The Recovery and Resilience Grants are part of a $104 million joint funding package announced after the category three storm battered 1000km of WA’s coastline in April.

Emergency Management and National Recovery and Resilience Minister Bridget McKenzie said those impacted could apply for both recovery grants and resilience grants.

“Insured homeowners can apply for one or both types up to the total of $20,000,” she said.

“The resilience grant will provide the funding to undertake eligible improvements to their properties, contributing to a greater peace of mind in the advent of a future cyclone or other severe weather event.”

Recovery grants are for homeowners who incurred clean-up and repair costs but whose insurance policy did not cover the total cost of works.

Cyclone Seroja caused widespread damage across WA’s Mid West, laying waste to the towns of Kalbarri and Northampton and destroying Carnarvon’s historic One Mile Jetty.

WA Emergency Services Minister Reece Whitby said State recovery representatives and essential services had been working for months to “increase resilience” in the region.

“For most people in the Mid West, Cyclone Seroja was the first cyclone they have experienced,” he said.

“Recovery and resilience grants are an important funding support to invest in building to a higher standard.

“Knowing that you have extra measures built in, often above what is required under current code or building ratings for a region, will also assist in building confidence throughout the community should another cyclone hit.”

Works covered by resilience grants include: installation of roof structure tie-down upgrades; replacement of garage doors and frames with wind rated garage doors; installation of window protections including cyclone shutters or debris screens; and replacement of external hollow core doors with solid external grade doors.

Applications are now open and close on March 31, 2023.

For more information on disaster assistance visit disasterassist.gov.au.