Disaster relief payments extended for flood affected communities
The Federal Government is continuing to work with the Northern Territory Government and local authorities to provide support to more flood affected Territorians where it’s needed.
From 2:00pm local time on Tuesday, March 24, the Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment (AGDRP) will be available for eligible people in the following new locations: Daly River and Maranunga in the Victoria Daly Local Government Area (LGA), as well as Lansdowne in the Roper Gulf LGA.
This extension is in addition to the locations where AGDRP has already been activated in the Northern Territory. Previously activated areas include the Katherine LGA and the locations of Wugularr (Beswick), Berry Springs, Darwin River, Nauiyu, and Nganmarriyanga (Palumpa).
One-off payment
AGDRP is available for people who have been directly impacted by the flooding. This includes major damage to their home, serious injury, or loss of a loved one as a direct result of the floods. It’s a one-off payment of $1,000 per eligible adult and $400 per child.
The Australian Government Disaster Recovery Allowance (DRA) will also be available for eligible people in the following LGAs: Katherine, Litchfield, Roper Gulf, Victoria Daly and West Daly.
“Communities in the Northern Territory dealing with the impact and damage of these devastating floods are now facing further severe weather, and we are there to help them through these events,” Minister for Government Services Katy Gallagher said.
“Services Australia has staff on the ground in Katherine, Darwin and Palmerston helping people with claims for the Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment and the Disaster Recovery Allowance.
Check eligibility
“I encourage people to check their eligibility for disaster payments on the Services Australia website. Claims will be open from 2pm local time on 24 March 2026.”
DRA supports people who’ve lost income as a direct result of this event by providing up to 13 weeks of income support for workers and sole traders, depending on their personal circumstances.
Impact assessments are undertaken by emergency management agencies as locations become safe to access. Those impact assessments allow the Australian Government to activate additional support for those communities.
Minister for Emergency Management Kristy McBain said it was a really tough time for Big Rivers and Top End communities who have just gone through back-to-back significant flood events and are going through more severe weather caused by Severe Tropical Cyclone Narelle.
“Having seen firsthand the devastation these systems have caused, these communities can rest assured that we know what they’re dealing with and we’re doing what we can to help,” she said.
Call helpline
These payments are on top of the other recovery assistance that has been activated under the joint Commonwealth-state Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) to help households, primary producers and councils.
People can check their eligibility for AGDRP and DRA on the Services Australia website.
The quickest way to claim AGDRP and DRA is online through myGov.
If people need help to claim, they can call the Australian Government Emergency Information Line on 180 22 66.
To change or pause Centrelink debt repayments, affected people can do so online or in the mobile app (through the Money You Owe service), or by calling 1800 076 072.
