Up to 13 Weeks’ Pay for Workers Stranded by NSW Floods

Flood-hit workers in Kempsey, Port Macquarie, Mid Coast and Dungog are eligible for aid from May 26.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during a visit to the Gallipoli Barracks in Brisbane, Australia on March 9, 2025. Tertius Pickard—Pool/Getty Images

As devastating floods continue to impact New South Wales, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has confirmed financial support for affected workers and praised the government’s coordinated emergency response to the crisis.

The Disaster Recovery Allowance would be available from 2 p.m. May 26, in the Kempsey, Port Macquarie, Mid Coast, and Dungog local government areas.

The allowance provides income support for employees and sole traders unable to work due to disaster-related impacts, including access issues and property damage.

Speaking to Sydney radio station 2GB, Albanese said the federal government was working closely with state and local authorities.

“There’s seamless activity across the three levels of government, working with agencies and working with the SES, the Rural Fire Service, and everyone else,” he said.

He later visited Maitland with NSW Premier Chris Minns, where he acknowledged the scale of the damage.

“Some of the extraordinary footage of cattle and livestock are being impacted by this as well,” he said.

ADF helicopters have also rescued more than a dozen people.

An aerial photo shows NSW Fire Rescue personnel assisting an elderly resident during flooding in Port Macquarie, New South Wales on May 22, 2025. A slow-moving trough is dumping rain along the east coast of Australia, leaving thousands of people stranded AAP Image/Lindsay Moller

“The chopper has been rescuing people for the last 48 hours,” he said.

He said while immediate rescue efforts were ongoing, a long recovery would follow.

“There’s going to be a big recovery effort required. There’s been massive damage to infrastructure and we’re going to have to really all pitch i,” he said.

“Tragically, these events are becoming more frequent and more intense, but we’re a resilient bunch, Australians. And that’s precisely what we are seeing now.”

More Rain Forecast as Toll Climbs

Meanwhile, a fourth person has been confirmed dead, and another remains missing in the record floods along the NSW Mid North Coast.

Thousands are without power as the weather system moves south, bringing expected heavy rain to the Hunter, Sydney and South Coast regions.

The SES has responded to more than 1,500 calls for help and carried out over 300 flood rescues in the past 24 hours.

Residents Urged to Stay Informed

The Prime Minister encouraged residents in affected areas to monitor warnings and follow instructions from authorities.

He urged people to download the Hazards Near Me app or visit hazardwatch.gov.au for real-time updates. “Listen to the advice, make sure you log on to the relevant sites and keep informed if you’re in these communities,” he said.

This federal assistance provides up to 13 weeks of salary for sole traders and employees unable to work due to access issues caused by the floods.

So far, disaster assistance has been activated across 16 local government areas, with broader recovery support to follow.