The federal government has agreed to extend disaster funding to flood-hit parts of the New South Wales north coast after state government MPs and local mayors lined up to blast the commonwealth over its initial decision to exclude some areas from the extra payments.
On Thursday the federal minister for emergency management, Bridget McKenzie, said the government would extend extra financial support to communities in Ballina, Byron and Tweed after the towns were initially excluded from the $2,000 payments.
