Victorian businesses devastated by the recent floods are to receive further financial support as they struggle to get back on their feet
Victorian businesses in areas devastated by recent floods will be able to access up to $200,000 in grants to help rebuild infrastructure and replaced damage assets.
The grants are part of a $877m support package to be announced by the state and federal governments.
Eligible small businesses and not-for-profit organisations can claim up to $50,000 grant aid while medium and large-size businesses directly affected by the floods will be able to receive up to $200,000.
These payments follow concessional loans of up to $250,000 already announced by the federal government.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said the additional grants would “ensure Victorian business can rebuild with confidence”.
“We’re making sure flood-affected business owners and communities have the support they need to rebuild and return to trade as quickly and safely as possible,” said the Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews.
The threat of further flooding remains but in the meantime assessment of damaged infrastructure has begun. The cost of repairing and reopening roads and bridges can not be estimated until the floodwater retreats, but Andrews said that the government would spend an initial $165 million on an “emergency road repair blitz” to find and fix the potholes which are making roads impassable.
In the past few days, hundreds of crews have already completed more than 500 inspections of the most damaged sites and found and repaired around 10,000 potholes caused by the flooding.
