MPs appeal for increased flood recovery grants as deadline for applications looms

MEMBER for Myall Lakes Tanya Thompson and Member for Oxley Michael Kemp are calling on the Minns Government to urgently double the Small Business Recovery Grant from $25,000 to $50,000.

They say Labor has failed communities affected by the March 2025 floods, by allowing the deadline for recovery grants to pass without delivering the support needed.

In a joint statement, the MPs said businesses across the Myall Lakes and Oxley electorates continue to be burdened with damaged premises, disrupted transport routes, delayed infrastructure repairs, insurance gaps and prolonged reductions in trade.

Mrs Thompson said frustration is growing among business owners who feel early commitments made during visits to flood-affected areas have not been followed through.

“Months on from the floods, our communities are still waiting,” she said.

“We aren’t talking about short-term impacts, they are ongoing, compounding costs that $25,000 simply does not cover.

“We are hearing the same message everywhere – the support on offer does not match the scale of the damage yet the Government is refusing to listen.”

Mr Kemp said the reality on the ground is that many businesses simply cannot fully recover under the current level of support.

“We have businesses that still haven’t been able to reopen, others operating at a fraction of their capacity, and owners who’ve been forced to remortgage their homes just to keep the doors open,” he said.

“There is work to be done and customers ready to come back, but stock is damaged or unusable and the grant on offer doesn’t come close to covering the cost of getting back up and running.

“When businesses cannot reopen properly or are forced to cut jobs, families feel it, workers feel it, and local economies suffer.

“The Minns Labor Government must deliver the level of support that allows businesses to properly rebuild and employ locals again.”