Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2024-10-15 Daily Xml

Contents

River Murray Flood

393 The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (Leader of the Opposition) ().11 September 2024). Can the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development advise:

1. What grant streams were available to the community in the wake of the floods in the Riverland and Murraylands in 2022-23? Please include grant name and amount available by scheme.

2. How much has been dispersed to the community since becoming available? Please provide the amount dispersed by grant scheme.

3. How much of the grant is yet to be dispersed or distributed?

4. What grant schemes were available to local government (councils) in the wake of floods in the Riverland and Murraylands in 2022-23?

5. How much has been dispersed to the community since becoming available? Please provide the amount dispersed by grant scheme.

6. How much of the grant is yet to be dispersed or distributed?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries):

I am advised:

1. The Department of Primary Industries and Regions provided three streams of flood recovery grants for primary producers since December 2022.

The SA River Murray Flood Primary Producer Irrigation Infrastructure Grant program was provided to irrigators to help meet costs of relocating or re-establishing irrigation and electricity infrastructure impacted by the floods. $3.8 million was available to this program.

The SA River Murray Flood Primary Producer Recovery Grant was provided to support clean-up, relief and recovery costs for primary producers that suffered direct loss and damage from the flood. $11.2 million was available to this program.

The River Murray Flood LMRIA Irrigation Trust Recovery Grants program is being provided to support irrigation trusts in the LMRIA region with medium-term recovery activities and long-term resilience building activities relating to their shared irrigation infrastructure. An estimated $2.025 million will be made available to this program.

2. Under the SA River Murray Flood Primary Producer Irrigation Infrastructure Grant program $3.844 million has been expended to date.

Under the SA River Murray Flood Primary Producer Recovery Grant $10.777 million has been expended to date.

The River Murray Flood LMRIA Irrigation Trust Recovery Grants were opened in August 2024 and applications close 31 October 2024.

3. The SA River Murray Flood Primary Producer Irrigation Infrastructure Grant program budget is fully expended. Eight applications for a total value of $0.15 million are currently being finalised.

$0.423 million remains available in the SA River Murray Flood Primary Producer Recovery Grant program budget. This grant closed to new applications on 30 June 2024. Approved applicants can make tier 2 claims within their existing six-month timeframe or approved extension period. The final uptake in this program will not be known until June 2025.

The full budget of $2.25 million remains available in the River Murray Flood LMRIA Irrigation Trust Recovery Grants program. Successful applicants have until 30 April 2026 to complete their approved activities.

4. The following measures have been made available to support local government with the 2022-23 River Murray flood event:

Levee works to mitigate the impact of the flood event

Counter disaster operations assistance for a variety of flood mitigation, response and remediation activities

Local Government Disaster Recovery Assistance Arrangements (LGDRAA) to support the repair of flood damaged council roads and other essential public assets

Community and Recreational Asset Restoration Program to assist impacted councils remediate and restore eligible assets essential to community recovery such as open spaces, community facilities and cultural heritage sites.

5. The following amounts have been dispersed to local government for the above measures:

$12.140 million for levee works

$3.006 million for counter disaster operations

$9.001 million in advance payments under the LGDRAA

Nil has been dispersed under the Community and Recreational Asset Restoration Program as the program was announced on 16 July 2024 and applications were due on 4 October 2024.

6. The following is the status of the measures available to local government:

The levee works measure has been completed

The counter disaster operations measure has been completed

The government is continuing to work with impacted councils to finalise LGDRAA claims that are based on actual expenditure incurred

There is $9 million available under the Community and Recreational Asset Restoration Program with applications due on 4 October 2024.'