Bushfire Recovery Funding To Bring Tourists Back To The South Coast

Local shows and events that will bring the community together and attract tourists to the South Coast will receive a funding boost, thanks to the NSW Government’s Bushfire Economic Recovery and Community Resilience Fund.

Member for Kiama Gareth Ward MP said that the Nowra Show Society, Kangaroo Valley Show, Milton Show, the Ulladulla Blessing of the Fleet and StoryFest will receive grants to help stage their events this year.

Mr Ward said Shoalhaven City Council will also seek applications from the community for funding up to $25,000 to stage events, with up to $75,000 available for tourism events that will attract out of area visitors who will spend and stay with local businesses.

“Shows are the lifeblood of our community and right now, more than ever, we welcome every available opportunity to bring people together and these grants will ensure that these shows will go on,” Mr Ward said.

“Many businesses are doing it tough after holidaymakers were rightly asked to relocate away from the South Coast due to the New Year bushfire threat, meaning those businesses lost a significant portion of their revenue for the year.

“Staging shows that will bring out of area visitors to the South Coast means more people dining in our restaurants, drinking coffee in our cafes, spending money in our shops and putting heads on beds.”

The NSW Deputy Premier and Minister responsible for Disaster Recovery John Barilaro said the NSW Government is working with councils directly impacted by bushfire to deliver assistance that will speed up the recovery process and help to get local economies back on track.

“We have worked closely with councils to quickly develop and fund initiatives that will help communities recover, rebuild and become more resilient, Mr Barilaro said.

The Bushfire Community Resilience and Economic Recovery Fund is jointly funded by the NSW Government and Commonwealth Government.

The NSW and Commonwealth Governments will also share the costs on a 50:50 basis for the clean-up of residential and commercial properties. The cost of the NSW clean-up is expected to run into the hundreds of millions of dollars.

Other bushfire recovery and support funding being rolled out include the $1 billion fund to repair and rebuild vital infrastructure, $75,000 disaster grants for bushfire affected primary producers and $50,000 recovery grants for small businesses.

In addition to this, the NSW Government is extending fee free training for any out of work apprentices in bushfire affected areas, implementing the $10 million, ‘Now’s the time to love NSW’ tourism campaign, directing NSW Government agencies to use local providers in bushfire affected areas where possible for clean-up, rebuild, repair and the construction of new infrastructure, and encouraging corporate Australia to hold business events in the bush.

For a full list of all available bushfire funding assistance and support programs, please visit the website at: www.service.nsw.gov.au.