Mid North Coast receives additional $56 million in funding for flood recovery

Here's where the money is actually going.

Author

Brad Esposito
April 23, 2026

The Mid North Coast will receive more than $56 million in additional state and federal funding to support communities still recovering from the severe storms and flooding of May 2025.

Announced on Tuesday, the $56.3 million package is focused on waterways, environmental damage and direct financial relief for local businesses.

How we got here: More than 50,000 people and at least 10,000 properties were impacted by record-breaking floods hitting across the Mid North Coast in May 2025.

Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, which swept along the East Coast, resulted in $1.5 billion in insured losses.

What they’re saying: NSW Premier Chris Minns said the funding would provide “practical on the ground support”.

“We know recovery doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time and requires governments of all levels to work together to ensure communities are getting the right support they need to move forward.”

What it looks like: Launched in the coming weeks, the funding will include:

  • $26.2 million for clean up and waste removal, targeted at hazardous debris in riverbanks and on land.

  • $8.8 million for repairing riverbanks and coastal areas.

  • $5.6 million for small business grants, specifically for businesses and not-for-profit organisations that suffered direct damage during the May storms.

  • $7.2 million for community recovery and “resilience activities”.

  • $1.9 million for disaster legal services.

  • $4.2 million for mental health disaster recovery support.

More information, and instructions on how to apply for grants, can be found here.

Kristy McBain, the Minister for Emergency Management, said “recovery is a long haul; it is not days and weeks, it is months and years”.

NSW Minister for Recovery Janelle Saffin said the funding would help with heavy-duty clean-up and mental health support.

“Small business owners have been clear about what they need to move forward. This funding is specifically designed to help replace damaged equipment and repair shopfronts to ensure local traders can complete their rebuilds and focus on the future.”