Australian Commonwealth Chief Minister Jon Stanhope marked the six-month anniversary of the January firestorm by announcing a further range of measures to assist members of the Canberra community whose homes were destroyed in January.

Speaking at a Property Council of Australia luncheon, Stanhope said that while there have already been significant measures introduced to assist fire-affected people, his government believed it was now time to launch a series of new initiatives as the recovery process continued.

These measures include:

• A $5,000 financial grant for those intending to rebuild houses on their original block. This grant is designed to help fire-affected residents to rebuild and recognizes that there have been some rises in costs and under-insurance, as well as additional costs associated with replacing fences, removing damaged trees and restoring fire-affected gardens. This grant will be paid when a certificate of occupancy is issued for the rebuilt home.
• An extension of the waivers for rates, water and sewerage charges to June 30, 2004, on residential properties, land tax for destroyed commercial properties, and destroyed residential properties owned by companies.
• The release of a workbook “Guide to Rebuilding Your Home or Selling Your Block,” to assist residents work through these processes.
• The establishment of a Bushfire Support Service to provide a single point of contact and one-on-one services for residents working through the planning and rebuilding processes.
• A commitment by the ACT government to pay the training levy on behalf of lessees proposing to rebuild houses on their original blocks, except those opting for different types of development. This will save approximately $500 per household.
• The introduction of a range of new services to monitor and manage bushfire-related building costs, including the establishment of a bushfire building costs advisory service and a bushfire building costs monitoring committee, as well as additional building/real estate liaison services at the ACT Recovery Centre.

“My government hopes that the rebuilding measures announced today will make the decision for people about whether to rebuild or sell easier,” said Stanhope. “This package will provide an incentive to rebuild as we continue the next phase in the recovery process.”