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Posted: 2024-09-08 06:22:27

More financial assistance has opened up for Tasmanians affected by the recent storm and flooding event, as residents continue assessing the damage.

Co-funded by the Tasmanian and federal government, grants of $2,000 per household will be available to those whose primary residence has been without power for more than a week or is uninhabitable due to damage.

Premier Jeremy Rockliff said the temporary living support payment would be available for every seven days a household met the requirements.

"While power has been restored to many households, the unprecedented scale of damage means that thousands of Tasmanians are still waiting to be reconnected," he said.

"For households facing power outages for up to five weeks, this new payment means they are eligible for $10,000 in payments."

Fallen trees and flooded waters

Ouse, in Tasmania's Central Highlands, was heavily impacted by rising floodwater. (ABC News: Owain Stia-James)

Mr Rockliff said the new grants, which are capped at $10,000, would be open for applications from 2pm on Monday.

"The funds are there for anyone who reaches the threshold. I'm advised that around 2,500 households or connections still need to be reconnected, so significant numbers," he said.

"We've made every effort to ensure the application process, whether it's the $250 or the $350, or in this case the $2000, is as simple as possible."

Residents eagerly awaiting return of power, hot showers

In the state's north-west, Angela Wells has been largely relying on a generator for the past fortnight.

She said it provided enough energy to keep the internet running, to have one light on, and to charge mobile phones.

"Just the basics, and to plug the fridge in and keep things from perishing," Ms Wells said.

"We just sort of keep the fridge on for a few hours at night time, just enough to keep it ticking away."

Cooking has been done with gas, and lighting has largely come from torches.

A woman puts fuel into a generator

Angela Wells runs her fridge for a few hours at a time off a generator to stop food spoilage. (Supplied)

Ms Wells said the showers, enabled by buckets of water heated up on the stove, are one new feature of her life she can't wait to say goodbye to.

"I think that's probably the thing that you miss the most, is not having hot water," she said.

Ms Wells was relieved to have her power restored on Sunday.

Nearby, the Railton Neighbourhood House has been storing food for those without power, with staff also reaching out to isolated residents.

A woman with long, grey hair sits at a dining table

Janine Poke says the neighbourhood house is helping locals come together during adversity. (ABC News)

The local pub has also opened its doors, inviting locals to use its camping shower out the back, and to come in for a chat and to charge phones.

"I think it's been hard for people that are on their own," the neighbourhood house's chairperson Janine Poke said.

"There are a lot of people on their own around here, so they feel a lot more isolated I would think.

"A few of those people come here, and we help them just by purely having company, coming here and interacting and having community."

Tasmanians down south also 'soldiering on'

A flooded paddock

Ouse farmer Brett Gleeson was stranded at home with his family for three days during record flooding of the River Derwent, which he estimates caused up to $100,000 in damages to his property.   (Supplied: Brett Gleeson)

Back down the other end of the state, Ouse farmer Brett Gleeson is also still feeling the impacts of the weather.

His family were stranded in their home for three days during record flooding of the River Derwent last week — and then again this weekend, after the River Ouse overflowed.

He said it was frustrating, with the water flushing away the clean-up and repairs he'd started.

"We're back to square one."

Mr Gleeson said he was grateful for his generator, and that he was trying to stay positive.

"We're pretty self-sufficient there, we've always stocked up, so it's not that bad. We've got a generator.

"You've just got to soldier on and keep going."

Power outages to continue into next week for some 

During the severe weather, TasNetworks sustained severe damage to more than 20 per cent of its network — with 150,000 customers having experienced outages at some stage.

There were still more than 80 outages remaining, almost exclusively in Tasmania's north and north-west.

Crews from New South Wales have been flown in to assist, as well as workers from the south being redirected.

The majority of outages in the south have been fixed.

Head of network operations, Jason King, said the repairs that remained would likely be the slowest, and most complex.

Mr King said it meant some customers could be going many more days without power.

"A lot of the customers that are off now are on the literal end of the line," Mr King said.

"And when I mean end of the line, that could be 50 to 100 kilometres long, these lines, with 20 to 30 poles down and 20 to 30 different locations. So that's the complexity we're looking at."

A man standing in front of a power substation

Jason King says it could still be some days for power to be fully restored. (ABC News)

Mr King said TasNetworks appreciated that it was frustrating for those still waiting for repairs, but that the team and contractors were working as hard as they could.

So far more than 6,000 people have accessed emergency food grants that were previously made available to those who have spent 72 hours or longer without power.

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