Flood Relief Money and Support Available QLD and NSW

This is being updated all the time and sometimes links will change. Please let me know in the form at the bottom if links do not work or you have information I can add to the page. Last update 13/4/22

Natural Disaster Recovery Checklist

Homeowners and Renters

1. 1. Insurance – Lodge a claim with your insurance company/ies (if you have one/some) as soon as possible for your home, belongings, car, boat etc. Many allow you to do it online. The sooner you do it the higher up in the queue you are. You can get help from LegalAid if needed.
   2. Make sure to take photos of everything before you clean up if possible.
   3. Banks have agreed to give people up to 3 months’ relief on mortgage payments as of 3/3/22. Call your bank to organise.
   4. Claim Gov grants (see below)
   5. Still, need help cleaning up or know someone who does? Call your local council or the SES on 132 500. Or put a post on Facebook.com or Nextdoor.com
   6. Reach out to friends and family to see if you can stay with them if you are unable to go back to your home. Or contact the Homeless Hotline – free call (24/7) – 1800474753 or Housing assistance – 13 74 68 and www.qld.gov.au/housing
   7. Call your bank about mortgage, credit cards and loans, ANZ, Westpac, NAB, Commonwealth , Bendigo, BOQ, Macquarie, AMP, Suncorp, ING
   8. Call your electricity, gas, internet, council (water and rates),  and any other companies you have loans with to see if you can have payments suspended for a few months. Or if there is anything they offer to help in disaster situations.
   9. Reach out to organisations that can support you emotionally, especially if your family and friends have also suffered and can not support you right now. (see below)

Businesses

See this checklist online 

Australia Wide Disaster Grants and More

 

Federal Government Grants

Feb 2022 Floods Claim before 28th August 2022

Direct Links to application pages. Can also be done through MyGov on a mobile.

1.
QLD Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment
NSW Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment

Payment – a lump sum of $1000 per adult and $400 per child under 16. More regions may be added so check back. Conditions apply.

An extra $2000 per adult and $800 per child under 16 has been added for some locations. This will automatically be paid if you applied for or intend to apply for the original payment.

The federal government has also announced extra money for parents and early childhood and child care services closed for more than seven days, mental health programs and support and legal services.

2.

QLD Disaster Recovery Allowance
NSW Disaster Recovery Allowance

Payment – a short-term income support payment (13 weeks) to assist individuals (including business owners, farmers, and employees) who can demonstrate their income has been affected as a direct result of a disaster.

Criteria:

• – were 16 or older at the time of the floods
• – are an Australian resident or hold an eligible visa
• – work or live in an affected Local Government Area (LGA)
• – lost income as a direct result of the storms and floods
• – earn less than the average Australian weekly income in the weeks after you had this income loss. Using ABS stats on 9 August 2021, this was $1,737.10 per week.

Overview pages

All Natural Disaster support and information
All recent flood/disaster events for Aus and NZ residents
Ongoing support services including help for homelessness, violence, mental health and medicines.

3.

Primary Producers, Businesses and Not for Profit

Applications close 5 September 2022

$50,000 – small businesses and not-for-profits

$75,000 – primary producers

$20,000 – sporting, community clubs and associations

QLD – primary producers, businesses, not for profit

NSW – primary producers, to be notified about business and more grants when they become available

The government has also said they will provide tax relief in the way of additional time to pay tax obligations.

NSW Specific Disaster Payments, Grants and Support

Tues 29th March 2022 – Essential Energy has put in place a generator compensation process for business customers, where Essential Energy will cover the reasonable hire costs of a generator, fuel, delivery and connection once a business is deemed safe to operate but remains without available power from the network. Business customers can contact Essential Energy on 132080 to determine their eligibility. For more updates

Call – 13 77 88 to have a person help you

Help available for this storm and flood event

Specific Help for Businesses

Complete a questionnaire to find out exactly what is available for you.

Direct Pages – for all disasters

Disaster Relief and Support  Main Page
Individuals and households
Primary producers
Businesses
Sports and Recreation
Not for Profit
Councils

QLD Specific Disaster Grants and Payments

Click here to see activation areas

Hotline 24/7 – 1800 173 349

First two need to be claimed within 7 days following the activation of the grant in your area.

1.

Emergency hardship Assistance

Payment –  $180 per person, up to $900 for a family of five or more. Not means-tested.

Criteria:

• – live or are stranded in the targeted activation zone
• – have suffered hardship as a result of the event
• – are unable to meet your immediate essential needs for food, clothing, medical supplies or temporary accommodation.

2.

Essential services hardship assistance grant

Payment – If deemed eligible, applicants may receive $150 per person, up to $750 for a family of 5 or more.

Criteria

Where you have experienced loss of one or more essential services for more than 5 days.

3-5 Don’t mention time limitation

3.

Essential household contents grant

Payment- up to $1,765 for single adults and up to $5,300 for couples/families are available. You can be a tenant or an owner-occupier.

Criteria:

• – live in a disaster affected area where this grant is activated
• – be uninsured or unable to claim insurance to replace or repair your household contents
• – qualify under the income test

4.

Structural assistance grant

Payment – up to $10,995 for single adults and up to $14,685 for couples/families are available.

Criteria:

• – live in a disaster affected area where this grant is activated
• – own or be the mortgagee of the home, caravan or boat
• – been living in the home, caravan or boat at the time of the disaster (it was your primary place of residence)
• – be uninsured or unable to claim insurance for the structural repairs
• – meet the income test.

5.

Essential services safety and reconnection grant

For – uninsured, or unable to claim insurance, you may be eligible for a grant to help you reconnect essential services.

Criteria:

• – live in a disaster affected area where this grant is activated
• – be the owner or mortgagee of the home
• – be uninsured or unable to claim insurance to replace or repair your essential service/s
• – qualify under the income test

Other QLD Assistance

1. Brisbane city council – register to get $250 rates discount
2. Gympie council extra funding
3. Homeless Hotline – free call (24/7) – 1800474753
4. Housing assistance – 13 74 68 and www.qld.gov.au/housing
5. Queensland toll roads will be toll-free until 11.59pm on Sunday, 6 March. Further ongoing support for toll payments

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Loans

• Business – Concessional loans to re-establish operations. Cover costs of repairing or replacing damaged equipment and plant, repairing or replacing buildings, supplying stock for up to one month to replace lost stock and maintain liquidity of the business, or meeting carry-on requirements including sustenance or paying rent or rates. Apply on-line HERE. Applications close 31 December 2023.

• Primary Producers – Concessional loans to re-establish the normal operations such as repairing or replacing damaged plant and equipment, repairing or replacing farm buildings, purchasing livestock to replace those lost in the flood, meeting carry-on requirements including re-planting, restoring or re-establishing areas affected by the flood, sustenance, essential property operations and paying rent and rates. Apply on-line HERE. Applications close 31 December 2023.

• Community Groups / Not for Profit Groups – Concessional loans to not for profit organisations to re-establish normal operations by covering costs such as repairing or replacing damaged plant and equipment, repairing or replacing essential premises including grounds, amenities and infrastructure, and supplying stock for up to one month to replace lost stock and maintain liquidity of the organisation. Apply on-line HERE. Applications close 31 December 2023.

QLD Sport and Recreation Disaster Recovery Program (SRDRP)

Helps not-for-profit sport and recreation organisations with funding to re-establish their facilities and activities after extreme natural events, including floods. This includes costs for cleaning up.

Payment – Level 1 – $5000

An organisation must be located in a Local Government Area (LGA) listed as activated for either “Personal Hardship Assistance” or “Reconstruction of Essential Public Assets” on the Queensland Government’s Disaster Management website.

Up to 3 months from the latest activation date.

Find out more

RACQ Grant for community groups, charities and sporting clubs

2 rounds a year

Round 1 – Now OPEN until Sunday, 6 March 2022 at midnight (extended from 1 March)
Round 2 – Closes 7 October 2022 at 5pm

RACQ Foundation gives community groups, charities and sporting clubs the opportunity to rebuild after cyclones, severe storms, bushfires and drought.

Find out more

Contact these organisations if you or someone you know needs help financially or with replacing goods and more.

Blazeaid – helps repair fences

Crisis Heros

Lifeline

Red Cross

Vinnies

Salvation Army

Food Bank

Giveit – All the requests are from organisations vetted by GIVIT as genuinely working with people in need. Contact local councils, charities, recovery agencies and community groups to see if they are a Giveit partner and can help you.

See a list of other fundraisers people are donating to and contact the organisers to see if they can help you.

If you would like to donate or help click here