Disaster fund for investors

Investment property owners affected by cyclone Seroja have had some of their worries put to rest, with funding now available through the Lord Mayor’s Distress Relief Fund. Owners of investment properties damaged by Seroja, which battered the Mid West region earlier this year, can apply for up to $5000 to help with costs. Successful applicants must prove their second property was in a designated disaster area. The investment property must have been completely destroyed or deemed uninhabitable, and there can only be one application per dwelling. This is a slight variation to the original relief funding scheme whereby people whose primary residence suffered upwards of $100,000 in damages could receive up to $25,000, plus a further $15,000 if the dwelling was deemed completely destroyed or uninhabitable. Applications made by people regarding either primary or secondary properties for the Lord Mayor’s Distress Relief Fund can be directed to local shires. For information regarding application criteria, go to appealswa.org.au. Another set of disaster relief funding is also available to people affected by flooding in the Upper Gascoyne and Murchison regions. The flooding, caused by heavy rainfall in May, damaged roads and isolated multiple communities. Emergency Services Minister Reece Whitby said the two areas had been inundated with rainfall, with totals of between 40mm and 60mm recorded over a 48-hour period, causing a great deal of stress for the communities. “This heavy rainfall caused flooding in the Gascoyne River which put lives at risk and restricted access to food and essential supplies,” he said. Information on disaster assistance is available on the Australian Government’s Disaster Assist website at disasterassist.gov.au.