Andrew Gee renews calls for financial assistance after gas outage

Mr Gee is calling for disaster recovery and relief grants to be immediately provided to residents and businesses impacted by the gas outage emergency.

"Calls to provide financial assistance to residents and businesses affected by the gas outage have fallen on deaf ears, with the new federal government saying it will not declare the event a natural disaster, and telling my office that the NSW Government is refusing to request the disaster declaration which would unlock disaster assistance," he said.

"A natural disaster declaration must be made by both the state and federal governments to trigger financial assistance to everyone impacted by the gas emergency. The states need to request it as the first step."

Mr Gee said that residents and businesses in Bathurst, Lithgow, Oberon and Wallerawang had been "hung out to dry" by this decision.

"On Tuesday, the office of the Minister for Emergency Management stated that the federal government will not be declaring the gas emergency a natural disaster - despite the pipeline rupture being directly caused by an extreme weather event - because the NSW Government isn't requesting it.

"If this is the case, it shows that neither government is taking this emergency seriously enough.

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"This means affected residents and businesses across Bathurst, Lithgow, Oberon and Wallerawang who've been battling through the gas outage, or which have been forced to close indefinitely, will not be able to apply for financial assistance.

"This is a disgraceful situation, and it must be reversed. Is it penny pinching by these governments?"

Mr Gee went on to accuse the NSW government of remaining "publicly silent" on the matter of a disaster declaration.

He reiterated how vital financial assistance is for affected communities and, in particular, their businesses.

"To me, and to our region, it couldn't be clearer. We need this assistance activated on the double," Mr Gee said.

"Thousands of businesses across the region, both big and small, have been forced to reduce their operations or close their doors - and many don't know when they'll re-open again. Their staff are going without pay.

"Businesses like that run by Greg Lewis and his wife Fiona, who had to close their family-owned Italian restaurant in Bathurst for four days when the gas was cut. They're now thousands of dollars out of pocket, and their 10 hardworking casual staff went without work.

"The State and Federal Governments are asking hardworking residents and business owners in the Central West to take this on the chin. With this unprecedented gas outage directly caused by storms and floods, denying disaster assistance is cruel and nonsensical. This response is simply not good enough."

Mr Gee wants communities to have access to the Disaster Recovery Payment, Disaster Recovery Allowance, business grants and all other assistance that could be put in place to help everyone affected by the gas emergency.

"If this gas emergency happened in Sydney, both the State and Federal Governments would be falling over themselves to shovel money out the door," he said.

"This emergency was caused by an extreme weather event - the same one that has caused all the flooding.

"It's clearly all part of the same natural disaster and our residents and our businesses should be getting exactly the same level of support as other areas.

"We're being treated like second class citizens and it's not right.

"People hate it when different levels of government play the blame game. Both the State and Federal governments each need to make a very clear statement about whether they support a disaster declaration being made and how much they're putting on the table to help. No ifs or buts. We have local residents in need and this buck passing has to stop."

The Western Advocate has contacted Deputy Premier and Member for Bathurst Paul Toole for comment.

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