Bushfire Relief Assistance Resource

There are a number of supports available to individuals and communities impacted by the bushfire crisis in NSW. We have compiled a resource to assist you to access these supports. This resource is a living document and will be updated as needed.

Please note that NCOSS is a peak body and cannot directly provide people with assistance for bushfire relief. Below are details of key services that can provide immediate assistance. For those people looking to volunteer or donate, information can be found here.

Where to get assistance with bushfire relief

Financial support

• NSW Government Disaster Relief Grants are available for eligible individuals and families whose homes and essential household contents have been damaged or destroyed by a natural disaster and are uninsured. Call the Resilience NSW on 13 77 88 to apply.
• Clients of the Isolated Patients Travel and Accommodation Assistance Scheme (IPTAAS) affected by the bushfires may be eligible for additional travel and accommodation subsidies. Call the IPTAAS team on 1800 478 227 from Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, or email on IPTAAS@health.nsw.gov.au for assistance.
• Commonwealth Bank customers, including businesses, impacted by bushfires are eligible for emergency assistance packages which can include emergency accommodation, expedited CommInsure claims, loans assistance and waived fees. Call 1300 720 814 for assistance.
• NAB customers who have lost their homes due to bushfires can apply for a $2000 grant. NAB business customers with significant damage to income-producing assets can also apply for a $2000 grant and other supports. Call 1300 683 106 for assistance.
• ANZ customers affected by bushfires are eligible for financial assistance packages which can include temporary suspension of loan repayments and interest rate relief, and emergency funds and accommodation for ANZ Home and Contents insurance customers. Call 1800 149 549 for assistance.
• Westpac customers affected by bushfires are eligible for disaster relief packages that can include grants up to $2000, deferring loan and credit repayments, and emergency funds and accommodation for Westpac Home and Contents insurance customers. For Westpac mortgage customers who have lost their principal place of residence, Westpac will pay the customer's mortgage repayments for one year (up to $1200 per month). Call 1800 067 497 for assistance.
• Revenue NSW can assist people impacted by the bushfires by placing a hold on all fines, debt and Work and Development Orders, waiving interest for tax debt, offering exemptions from payroll tax and providing refunds on motor vehicle duty for replacement vehicles. Call on 1300 138 118 for assistance and more information.
• The Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR) will be providing grants specifically for bushfire-affected communities from September 2020, out of their existing Strengthening Rural Communities grant program. Email info@frrr.org.au for assistance.

Housing

• The NSW Government has established the Bushfire Housing Assistance Service to support people who are temporarily or permanently displaced as a result of the bushfires. The service can help with sourcing housing,  emergency accommodation, rental bonds, advance rent costs. Call the Disaster Welfare Assistance Line on 1800 018 444.
• Find-A-Bed is a service where households that can offer to host and people who need a place to stay can connect. People are matched based on their needs, including their pets. Find out more about how it works here.
• Renters have rights if their home is damaged by disaster. The Tenants Union have advice on disaster damage for renters here. Enter your postcode here to contact your local Tenants’ Advice & Advocacy Service for assistance.

Insurance

• The Financial Rights Legal Centre have developed a bushfire insurance guide available here and can also provide advice through the Insurance Law Service. Call 1300 663 464 for assistance.
• icare has teams standing by to assist bushfire-impacted customers arrange alternative treatment and care where necessary. Call 13 99 22 or email disasterassistance@icare.nsw.gov.au for assistance.
•  The Workers Compensation Independent Review Office (WIRO) will help workers unable to resolve an issue with their insurer. Call on 13 94 76 or email contact@wiro.nsw.gov.au for assistance.
• The NSW Government is coordinating the clean-up of both insured and uninsured residential and commercial properties affected by the bushfires. The Government is working through the eligibility criteria and will contact registrants when the specifics are finalised. If you are insured, also speak with your insurer.
• The Insurance Council of Australia is operating a 24-hour hotline to help people impacted by the bushfires with general information about claims and recovery. Call on 1800 734 621 for assistance.
• The Insurance Australia Group (IAG) are contacting their customers (including customers of NRMA, CGU, WFI, RACV) within impacted communities to offer emergency accommodation and financial assistance. Call IAG insurers for assistance:
  • NRMA Insurance: 13 11 23
  • CGU Insurance: 13 24 80
  • WFI Insurance: 1300 251 527
  • RACV Insurance: 13 72 28

Phone and mobile

• Telstra customers impacted by bushfires are eligible for relief packages which can include one-off phone credit and free diversion from an affected phone service to another service, regardless of carrier. Volunteer firefighters can also get their mobile phone bills waived for December 2019 and January 2020. Call 132 203 to register.
• Optus customers impacted by bushfires are eligible for financial assistance which can include free prepaid credit, bill waivers in extreme cases, and free diversion from an affected phone service to another service, regardless of carrier. Volunteer firefighters can also get their mobile phone bills waived for December 2019 and January 2020. Call 1300 301 671 to register.
• Vodafone customers who are volunteer firefighters can get their mobile phone bills waived for December 2019 and January 2020. Call 1300 650 410 to register.

Food and clothing

This type of assistance is not currently available.

Child care

• People eligible for a Child Care Subsidy may be able to get an additional subsidy from the Australian Government. You can apply here.

Pets and livestock

This type of assistance is not currently available.

Mental health support

• People affected by bushfires can receive up to 10 free counselling sessions. Organise these through your closest mobile service centre or Primary Health Network.
• People affected by bushfires can receive Medicare rebates for up to 10 face-to-face or telehealth mental health treatment services through eligible GPs, psychologists, occupational therapists and social workers. You do not need a GP referral, diagnosed mental illness or mental health treatment plan to access these sessions. Rebates are available from 17 January 2020 to 31 December 2021.
• Advanced Personnel Management are offering free phone counselling to people affected by the bushfires. Call 1800 276 113.
• Mid North Coast and Northern NSW residents affected by bushfires can access free mental health support via the local Healthy Minds program. Call 1300 160 339 between 8.30am – 5pm Monday to Friday.
• The NSW Rural Adversity Mental Health Program links people to appropriate mental health support in their area. RAMHP Coordinators are currently working in bushfire zones to identify and link people in need of extra support. Scroll down to the postcode locator here to find contact details for a local RAMHP Coordinator.
• People wanting to access mental health services can call the NSW Mental Health Line on 1800 011 511.
• Beyond Blue has developed an online resource on looking after your mental health after a disaster.

Legal assistance

• Under the new Commonwealth funded Bushfire Legal Aid Scheme, small businesses and farmers with legal issues related to the 2019/2020 bushfires can apply through their lawyer for funding to assist with their legal costs. If you are an eligible small business or farmer, you can apply for funding of $2000 to assist you to resolve your legal matter, and up to $5000 for related expenses. Additional funding is available in reasonable circumstances. For information contact your local lawyer, call the Legal Aid NSW Disaster Response Legal Service on 1800 801 529 or email disaster.response@legalaid.nsw.gov.au
• Legal Aid NSW/LawAccess are operating a Disaster Recovery Hotline to offer free legal advice to people affected by the bushfires. Call 1800 801 529 for assistance.
• Community legal centres are operating on the ground in affected communities to provide generalist and specialist advice, including financial counselling and tenancy advice. As well as local services, specialist centres are providing legal help with a range of immediate issues relating to bushfire impacts, including insurance claims, tenancy, and social security. More information can be found here, and contact details for local centres in affected areas are below.

National Disability Insurance Scheme

• The NDIA website provides downloadable accessible and Easy Read Bushfire Information and Support resources and other information regarding access to NDIS in impacted areas.

Disaster preparedness and response guidance

• This guide seeks to assist communities and community sector organisations to respond during the phases of emergency management: planning, response, relief and recovery, via the lessons learnt primarily in responding over years to the devastation and trauma of Black Saturday.
• The Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (WSROC), as part of their Heat Smart Western Sydney project, have produced a number of resources to assist communities and organisations prepare for heatwaves:
  • Guide for building heatwave preparedness in community organisations
  • Factsheet: Be safe during extreme heat in Western Sydney
  • Factsheet: Keep babies and children safe during extreme heat in Western Sydney
  • Factsheet: 10 tips for a cooler home

Bushfire recovery health information

• NSW Health has prepared advice on returning home safely, including handling waste, food, rainwater tanks and septic tanks.