Australia: It's a disaster when home isn't considered 'a home' for flood relief
By Ben Smee
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Local outreach groups estimate more than 1,000 Indigenous people from Palm Island live in Townsville or are staying for extended periods, almost as many as live permanently on the island.
[Sophia Barry, a Townsville resident from Palm Island] and many others were not eligible for federal disaster support payments that were promised to “every Townsville flood victim”, despite being evacuated from their homes.
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On Wednesday morning the prime minister, Scott Morrison, changed the eligibility rules after homeowners’ complaints were picked up by local media outlets, to extend the payments to anyone “if water has gone over floorboards in their house”.
The human services department told Guardian Australia that people are eligible for payments if they have been injured, or if their principal place of residence suffered major damage. It has offered to contact Barry to see if it can help her.
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