Submission to the Review of the operations of the NSW Reconstruction Authority regarding the NSW East Coast severe weather from May 2025

NCOSS was invited to make a submission to the NSW Parliament Joint Select Committee on the NSW Reconstruction Authority’s Review of the operations of the NSW Reconstruction Authority regarding the NSW East Coast severe weather from May 2025.

NCOSS’s feedback and recommendations included:

The number of individual grants and the complexity of applications make it difficult and stressful for people to apply, especially people who are already experiencing hardship

• NCOSS recommends grants should be simplified and part of a holistic package of support.

Local community service organisations support residents to navigate grants and other recovery support available, often without specific funding for this extra work. They also expend any resources that have, such as Emergency Relief, to support residents experiencing hardship while they wait on grant application outcomes

• NCOSS recommends local organisations should be provided with surge funding (through existing funders) to cover the increase in service delivery. Brokerage funding should be included.

When services are funded specifically for recovery work, such as delivery a Recovery Support Service, the contract requirements are complex and financially and administratively burdensome to the funded organisation.

• NCOSS recommends, for Recovery Support Service funding, include an upfront project establishment payment and brokerage funds.

Currently, social support and recovery services run in parallel.

• NCOSS recommends social services and recovery support systems should be aligned to ensure social and financial needs as a result of disaster are understood and met in a coordinated way.

Read the full submission here.