School principals in North New South Wales will be responsible for distributing new support systems to help teachers and students return to school after the devastating flood.
State Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said the principals had the knowledge and were given the best place to ensure assistance to those in need.
The premier, Dominic Perotte, visited the flood-hit town of Warden on Tuesday – where he said teachers had moved the school to allow education to continue – to announce a $ 67m aid package for the school, TAFE and childcare.
The package includes additional counseling for flood-affected workers.
Families can access a $ 500 grant for each student to replace items such as school uniforms, bags and sports equipment, as well as pay for other school expenses such as travel.
Teachers who have lost resources, including laptops, can apply for $ 1,000 to replace them.
Exactly how the money will be distributed is being determined. Mitchell said principals will work with their school community, and some assistance may include paying receipts for purchases by teachers and parents or providing vouchers for local businesses.
“[Principals] Find out who their staff and their students are in this situation, and that is why we will be able to find support especially for those who need it, ”he said.
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About 20 schools were damaged in the floods, five of which were significantly damaged, and buildings may need to be demolished and rebuilt, Mitchell said.
On Monday, the state government announced more grants to help people rebuild their uninsured and damaged homes, pointing the finger at the federal government for forcing the state to go package alone.
On Tuesday, Scott Morrison said he wrote a letter to Perotte saying his government was happy to share the cost of the program for flood relief.
The prime minister also criticized criticism from NSW high-ranking MP Katherine Cusack, who announced two weeks ago that she would leave parliament out of anger over the inconsistency in support of the flood among voters.
Cusack spoke out against Morrison, joining other critics of the prime minister within the Liberal Party.
The source of Cusak’s anger was mistakenly transferred, Morrison said, defending the declared funds.
“We’ve listed the first three LGAs [local government areas] Because they were the most obvious and that was the advice of our agencies… and we extended it to others, “Morrison said.
Submissions were also opened Monday for the flood investigation, led by Mark O’Kane, chairman of the NSW Independent Planning Commission, and Mick Fuller, a former police commissioner.
The six-month investigation will look into the causes, preparedness and response to the floods. The preliminary report is expected by the end of June and the final report by the end of September.
More severe weather is forecast in the vicinity of NSW for the rest of the week. The Meteorological Bureau and the State Emergency Service are expected to provide more details on Tuesday afternoon.
