Financial assistance will be available to Tasmanian households that have suffered significant power blackouts as a result of recent extreme weather, the state government have announced.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff acknowledged the thousands of Tasmanians who have been without access to food, water and essential items for several days.
Those who have endured power outages of at least 72 hours will be eligible to receive $350 emergency food grants.
“These have been very challenging circumstances, with many households having the contents of their fridge and freezers ruined by sustained power outages,” he said.
“With cost-of-living pressures challenging many household budgets, the unexpected expense of restocking the fridge and freezer will be difficult for many Tasmanians.
The Emergency Food Grant Fund will assist flood-affected Tasmanians in repurchasing everyday supplies.
The payments are in addition to the Emergency Assistance Grants announced for residents in the Derwent Valley who have been isolated or forced to evacuate.
Applications for the Emergency Food Relief Package can be made online via the Department of Premier and Cabinet website from 9am on Wednesday.
More than 47,000 properties were concurrently without power at the height of the storm, while TasNetworks say over 11,000 properties still remain without power as of Wednesday morning.
Authorities say it could be days before power is restored to all areas.
The Bureau of Meteorology say the worst of the weather is over, with a ‘couple days of reprieve’ at the moment before another front moves over the state on Friday.
