Disaster Assist
If you have any feedback about this site, please email us at disasterassist@fahcsia.gov.au.
Although the immediate threat has passed, people from bushfire-affected communities continue to face challenges as a result of the fires and our thoughts are with them during these difficult times.
The Victorian Bushfires have been extremely devastating, causing high loss of life and property. In response, the Commonwealth Government has announced a comprehensive Recovery Assistance Package to address the psycho-social, economic, infrastructure, and environmental impacts. Assistance is available for individuals, families, communities, businesses, primary producers and local governments.
For more information on Commonwealth Government assistance available to individuals call the Australian Government Victorian Bushfires Hotline on 180 2211.
If you have a hearing or speech impairment - TTY service FreeCALL™ 1800 810 586.
For information on other assistance available, contact the Victorian Department of Human Services on 1800 240 667 or your local council.
Financial Assistance
Other Assistance for Individuals
[ top ]
The Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment (AGDRP) is available to people who have been adversely affected by the Victorian Bushfires.
The AGDRP provides a one-off, immediate payment of $1,000 per eligible adult and $400 per child. Claims for this assistance can be lodged with Centrelink until 7 August 2009.
For further information on eligibility or any queries, please visit the Centrelink website or contact the Australian Government Victorian Bushfires Hotline on 180 2211. If you have a hearing or speech impairment - TTY service FreeCALL™ 1800 810 586.
[ top ]
Eligibility for the AGDRP is open to people:
A person can only be paid the AGDRP once in relation to the Victorian Bushfires.
[ top ]
A person is adversely affected if the bushfires resulted in a person being seriously injured or being the immediate family member (one only) of an Australian killed, if a person’s principal place of residence has been destroyed or sustained major damage, if a person is unable to return to their principal place of residence for a period of 24 hours or more, if a person has experienced psychological trauma, if a person’s principal place of residence experienced a utility failure for a period of 48 hours or more, or if the person is the principal carer of a child who has been affected in any of the aforementioned ways, by the bushfires.
A person is considered seriously injured if, as a direct result of the Bushfires, the person sustained an injury and was admitted to hospital. The person is also eligible, if under normal circumstances, the injury would have required admittance to hospital.
An immediate family member of an Australian who has died as a direct result of the Bushfires is eligible for the AGDRP. The person will be regarded as the immediate family member of the deceased person if they were the person’s:
Assistance will be provided to only one immediate family member of a person who died as a direct result of the Bushfires.
A principal place of residence has been destroyed if, as a direct result of the Bushfires, it was destroyed or has been damaged to the extent that it must be demolished.
A principal place of residence has sustained major damage when, as a direct result of the Bushfires:
Unable to return means that the person could not return to their principal place of residence for a period of 24 hours or more as a direct result of the Bushfires.
A person is considered to have experienced psychological trauma if they were in the immediate area of the disaster, and any of the following occurred:
A person’s principal place of residence is considered to have experienced a utility failure if the principal place of residence was without electricity, water or gas services for a period of 48 hours or more, and the utility outage was caused damage to public or private infrastructure arising as a direct result of the Bushfires.
A person may be considered to be the principal carer if they have legal responsibility for the day-to-day care, welfare and development of a child under the age of 16.
Only one adult can be the principal carer of a child at any time.
[ top ]
The Income Recovery Subsidy provides assistance to employees, small business operators and farmers who have lost income as a result of the Bushfires. This Subsidy provides fortnightly payments equivalent to the maximum rate of Newstart allowance depending on the person's circumstances.
It is available to Australian residents or eligible foreign nationals over 16 years of age. Eligible foreign nationals may include people who are on permanent visas (but who have not yet met the residency waiting period) and people who are on temporary skills or temporary family visas.
The Income Recovery Subsidy was announced on 10 February 2009, for an initial period of 13 weeks and was extended for a further 13 weeks on 26 March 2009. A further extension of 13 weeks to 10 November 2009 has been made to ensure employees, small businesses and farmers who are continuing to experience a loss of income as a result of the bushfires are financially supported and have ample time to transition to other longer term arrangements.
For more information on eligibility please visit the Centrelink website or contact the Australian Government Victorian Bushfires Hotline on 180 2211 or TTY service FreeCALL 1800 810 586.
[ top ]
The Commonwealth Government acknowledges the hardship faced by those families who have lost a loved one or loved ones. To support these families, assistance for funeral/memorial and related costs has been made available to the immediate family member of an Australian or eligible foreign national who died or was declared missing as a direct result of the Victorian Bushfires in January/February 2009.
Eligible foreign national may include an individual on a permanent, temporary skills or temporary family visa who died or was declared missing as a direct result of the Victorian Bushfires.
This assistance will provide $5,000 to one immediate family member for each deceased individual for funeral/memorial and other related costs. Centrelink will work with families to determine the most appropriate family member to receive this assistance.
For more information on eligibility or if you have any queries, please visit the Centrelink website or contact the Australian Government Victorian Bushfires Hotline on 180 2211 or TTY service FreeCALL™ 1800 810 586.
[ top ]
The Commonwealth Government is helping to facilitate the early provision of assistance to disaster affected communities by supporting the Victorian Government under the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA).
Under the NDRRA, the Victorian Department of Human Services is delivering temporary living and re-establishment grants depending on the size of a household. A Temporary Living Expense Grant up to a maximum of $8,650 may be available. The Re-establishment grant is also available and has two components. A maximum payment of up to $8,650 for repairs to structural damage to a residence and up to $8,650 to replace essential household contents such as furnishings and electrical goods is available.
There are currently 25 local government areas eligible for assistance under the NDRRA. These are: Alpine, Baw Baw, Cardinia, Corangamite, Greater Bendigo, Hepburn, Horsham, Indigo, Latrobe, Macedon Ranges, Mitchell, Mount Alexander, Murrindindi, Nillumbik, Southern Grampians, Wangaratta, Wellington, West Wimmera, Whittlesea, Yarra Ranges, Lake Mountain Alpine Resort, South Gippsland, Knox, Greater Dandenong and Casey.
Further information on this assistance is available from the Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority.
[ top ]
The Victorian Bushfire Case Management Service has been established to support people affected by the bushfires with matters such as accommodation, finance, employment, education, counselling, health and legal services, and other personal assistance. It is being delivered through a partnership arrangement with Commonwealth agencies, state agencies, local government and funded not-for-profit organisations.
To register with this service, please call the Victorian Bushfire Case Management Line on 1800 050 400 or visit the Victorian Case Management Service website.
[ top ]
The Commonwealth Government is providing $7.5 million of funding for mental health support to individuals and communities. This assistance builds on services being provided through Centrelink social workers, psychologists and case managers.
Additional telephone-based counselling services are available to respond to broader levels of distress within the Victorian community, and support through community organisations to assist affected communities to reconnect and psychologically recover from the impact of the trauma over the long term.
Additional counselling services are being provided through a $200,000 boost to five community organisations delivering the Commonwealth Government's Family Relationship Services Program: Centacare Sandhurst, Goulburn Valley Family Day Care, Eastern Access Community Health, Upper Hume Community Health and Centacare Melbourne.
Further resources to aid the emotional and psychological recovery of bushfire affected communities were recently launched. Two DVDs on post-traumatic stress disorder and acute stress disorder, were produced by the Australian Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health (ACPMH) in collaboration with the Rural Health Education Foundation and will be distributed free of charge through the Rural Health Foundation and the ACPMH. The resource is available for doctors, health practitioners and individuals and families affected by trauma.
Grants of $1,000 have been provided to General Practitioner practices to enable immediate infrastructure modification to accommodate additional mental health staff and functions. The Rural Workforce Agency Victoria, is coordinating volunteer health professionals in affected areas, and administering assistance provided to doctors and nurses for travel and accommodation costs.
Generalist financial counselling services, funded by both Commonwealth and Victorian Governments, are available for people affected by the Bushfires. For more information about these services contact the Financial & Consumer Rights Council Inc by phone 1800 134 139
For information on how banks, building societies and credit unions can help people to cope see the Managing financial distress following a natural disaster fact sheet.
[ top ]
The Commonwealth and Victorian Governments are providing support to help communities to rebuild through a program for site clean-up and demolition. Grocon has been contracted to deliver this assistance which is voluntary and offered free of charge.
Bushfire affected people who would like government assistance to clear their property, or who have already had their property cleared by a licensed contractor and wish to seek reimbursement, can call 1800 136 732 or visit Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority.
[ top ]
Job seekers who volunteer to help with clean-up and recovery efforts, or who live in locations where job opportunities have effectively been eliminated, will be shown leniency and will not be asked to look for work for an initial period of 13 weeks. A fact sheet is available through the Centrelink Customer Service Centres to advise job seekers of these special arrangements.
Job seekers who have been personally impacted by the Bushfires (including but not limited to damage to housing and loss of loved ones) may also be subject to a waiver of compliance obligations for a period.
[ top ]
Working together, Medicare, Centrelink and the Victorian Government are helping affected individuals re-establish their identity. This will ensure that payments are delivered to people efficiently in this difficult time. Anyone seeking more information or assistance in replacing identity documents or who require additional support at this time is encouraged to contact Centrelink and Medicare Australia staff in Relief and Recovery Centres and Community Service Hubs and Centrelink and Medicare offices across Victoria.
The Victorian Government is providing services related to replacement licenses, birth, marriage or change of name certificates. Details can be found on the Victoria Online Bushfire Information page.
Australians or foreign nationals wishing to re-acquire copies of documents issued by foreign countries (e.g. overseas birth certificates or marriage certificates, foreign passports etc) should in the first instance contact the nearest Embassy, High Commission or Consulate of the relevant foreign country. A list of all foreign missions and consulates in Australia, together with their contact details, can be found on the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website.
If you are unable to contact the relevant Embassy, High Commission or Consulate, or you experience difficulties in obtaining the foreign-issued documents you require, contact the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on 1300 555135 (for the cost of a local call within Australia).
[ top ]
The Commonwealth Government has increased its support for older Victorians affected by the Bushfires with an additional $1.5 million in emergency funding to help cover costs of emergency nursing home care and mechanical aids/personal care items lost in the Bushfires. As a part of this funding, the Commonwealth Government is providing up to $500,000 to the Victorian Government to provide additional Home and Community Care services.
Elderly people in Bushfire-affected areas needing a range of support, assistance and care may contact a Relief Centre or Recovery Centre or Community Service Hub in their local community or if they are outside of the affected area call the Victorian Case Management Service on 1800 050 400.
Elderly people needing temporary care may contact the nearest Commonwealth Respite and Carelink Centre on 1800 059 059 (freecall) or if they are outside the affected area they may approach their local community service provider or residential service.
In a one-off measure, the Commonwealth Government has removed the need for aged care assessments for older Victorians affected by the Bushfires so they can access short-term or temporary nursing home or community care as quickly as possible. For more information call the Aged Care Information Line on 1800 500 853.
The Commonwealth Government recently announced $220,000 for Victorian community legal centres to help Victorians affected by the Bushfire.
For more information visit Victoria Legal Aid or call the Bushfire Legal Helpline on 1800 113 432.
[ top ]
The Tax Office has established a dedicated Emergency Support Info Line (1300 304 975) to help people and businesses affected by the bushfires. A number of measures have been put in place to ease the burden on people suffering personal and financial loss at this time, including:
The Tax Office can also help by:
For more information, including extension dates, call the Emergency Support Info Line 1300 304 975 or visit the Australian Taxation Office website.
The Family Court of Australia and the Federal Magistrates Court of Australia will waive the normal fees for supplying copies of Court documents to people who have lost records during the recent Bushfires in Victoria.
For more information, call the Family Law Courts National Enquiry Centre, 1300 352 000 or visit the What’s New?” section on the Family Law Courts website
The Commonwealth and Victorian Governments are providing support to those small businesses and primary producers directly affected by the Victorian Bushfires through a $51 million joint package.
The available assistance includes:
For more information on the grants to primary producers and small businesses and the concessional interest rate loans contact the Rural Finance Corporation on 1800 255 925.
For more information on business advice and counselling service contact Business Victoria hotline on 13 22 15 or via Business Victoria.
[ top ]
The Commonwealth and Victorian Governments are providing support to help communities to rebuild through a program for site clean-up and demolition. Grocon has been contracted to deliver this assistance which is voluntary and offered free of charge.
Bushfire affected people who would like government assistance to clear their property, or who have already had their property cleared by a licensed contractor and wish to seek reimbursement, can call 1800 136 732 or Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority.
The Commonwealth and Victorian Governments have established a $10 million Community Recovery Fund to help recovery and community development following the Bushfires. The Fund is intended to address longer-term recovery through the restoration of social networks, functioning and community facilities. The Fund will cover a range of projects such as the restoration of community infrastructure, community preparedness and resilience building activities.
In recognition of the importance of sporting facilities in regional and rural communities, $3 million from the Community Recovery Fund has been set aside for grants, of up to $100, 000 each, for sports clubs in Bushfire-affected areas for rebuilding and reparation works.
To help with the healing process, $2.5 million from the Community Recovery Fund has been set aside for memorials.
More information is available on the Grants@DPCD website administered by the Victorian Department of Planning and Community Development.
The Commonwealth and Victorian Governments are providing support to regional tourism operators who have been affected economically by the bushfires through a $10 million Tourism Industry Support Package.
The Package, to be rolled out between March 2009 and June 2011, will provide:
[ top ]
The Commonwealth Government has announced an additional $80.4 million over three years in Emergency Relief Funding. The Commonwealth Government will provide an additional $6 million of funding to meet the need for immediate assistance for families affected by the Bushfires.
[ top ]
The Victorian Government will have the ability to draw on its share of the Commonwealth Government’s $6.4 billion Social Housing Fund which was announced as part of the Nation Building and Jobs Plan. This will be used to respond to social housing needs in bushfire-affected areas.
[ top ]
The Commonwealth Government will provide councils in the natural disaster affected areas of Victoria with the opportunity to reprioritise their projects under the Government’s $250 million Regional and Local Community Infrastructure Program. This will enable councils to better meet the need of locals affected by this natural disaster.
All Victorian councils had their local government Financial Assistance Grants brought forward from 15 May 2009 to 23 February 2009.
[ top ]
The Victorian Government will be able to draw on its share of funding under the Commonwealth Government’s $14.7 billion Building the Education Revolution Program. This will enable the Victorian Government to give priority to the construction of school infrastructure in communities affected by bushfires.
Families that have been affected by the Victorian Bushfires may be able to access Special Child Care Benefit to help cover the full fees of child care in an approved child care service for a period of up to 13 weeks. For further information about Special Child Care Benefit, contact the Family Assistance Office on 13 6150.
[ top ]
Up to $5 million will be available from the Caring for our Country initiative program for Catchment Management Authorities, community groups and individuals to undertake essential environment rehabilitation works and which will also assist communities, including farmers, who will need significant investment and support to rebuild and recover from the fires.
[ top ]
The Victorian Government is also providing a range of assistance measures to help people affected by the Victorian Bushfires. These are being overseen by the Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority (VBRRA).
The VBRRA has been established by the Victorian Government in partnership with the Commonwealth Government and is headed by former Police Chief Commissioner, Ms Christine Nixon.
The Authority is responsible for coordinating the community recovery and rebuilding effort of all Local, State and Commonwealth Government agencies and many of the community organisations contributing to the disaster response.
A new website We Will Rebuild has been launched by the VBRRA to help keep people up to date with the recovery and rebuilding process.
[ top ]
The Commonwealth and Victorian Governments each committed $2 million to the Fund.
An independent panel of community leaders chaired by the Hon. John Landy AC, is overseeing the operation of the Appeal Fund. To date announced measures include:
For further information about payments available under the Appeal Fund contact the Victorian Government Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund website or call 1800 180 213.