It can be hard to get back to normal after an emergency. It may have affected your home, your business or farm, or your emotional well-being. The links below provide information about what relief or assistance might available and how you can access it.

Who can help me?
Information and fact sheets
Damage and repairs
Financial support and assistance
Current information

Who can help me?

Department of Human Services
The Department of Human Services has an important role in assisting Victorians in recovering from the aftermath of an emergency. Responsibilities in Victoria’s emergency management arrangements include the following: community support and recovery, pre-hospital mass casualty management at incident sites, hospital emergency response and public health emergency response.

Local Government
Local councils have roles and responsibilities when an emergency occurs in their area. The Municipal Association of Victoria website gives a broad overview of the role of local government in emergencies and provides links to council contacts in your local government area. More information on the role of local government in emergency recovery is also available from the Department of Human Services Emergency Management website.

Community Groups
There are a large number of community groups who may assist you after an emergency. Their role and level of involvement will vary according to the type of emergency experienced, the location and the group's capacity to assist. Some of these groups are the Red Cross, the Salvation Army and the Victorian Council of Churches. Your local council may be able to provide information on what services are available.

Information and fact sheets

Department of Human Services (DHS) Fact Sheets
The Department of Human Services provides a large number of fact sheets to assist members of the community to cope with the impact of prolonged essential service disruption or natural disaster. Many of these sheets are also available in different languages. Topic areas include personal support, essential services disruption, flood, financial assistance and industry and agency support.

Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Information Notes
The Department of Primary Industries provides easy to read Information Sheets on a range of topics relating to Agriculture, Fisheries & Aquaculture, Flora and Fauna, Forests, Landcare, Land for Wildlife, and Minerals. Notes are organised by topics or can be found by using the 'Search' facility or the Sitemap and can be read and printed from the web, or downloaded as Adobe Acrobat printable document files (PDF). Some Notes which may be of assistance after an emergency include: Recovery of pastures after spring floods, Recovery of pasture after fire, Horses and floods and Horses and bushfire. The DPI Bushfire Response and Recovery web page also provides details on the Department's response to fire-affected land-holders as a result of the 2003 Victorian Alpine Fires. You can also telephone the DPI Customer Service Centre on 136 186.

Bushfires and environmental health concerns
Bushfires have the potential to cause a number of environmental health concerns beyond the immediate damage that the fire itself may cause. The Department of Human Services provides advice on cleaning up after a bushfire, water tanks and water quality, bushfire smoke and health, heat stress and food safety issues. DHS

Drought
The Department of Human Services is working with the Victorian Government Drought Taskforce and the Department of Primary Industries to support communities affected by the prolonged period of drought. Provides information on a range of topics and contact numbers to assist you, including: Drought information for Victoria; Initiatives to assist communities and Personal support and counselling. DHS

Business assistance
The Department of Innovation, Industry and Regional Development provides assistance to business people. This assistance includes information about starting a business, licensing and registration information and support for business, referrals to specialists as required and workshops and seminars on business topics. These services can be accessed through Victorian Business Line on 13 22 15 or the Victorian Business Centres which are based throughout Victoria.

Regional Development Victoria facilitates economic, infrastructure and community development in provincial Victoria and delivers a broad range of business programs and seminars through its regional offices and Victorian Business Centre offices.

Damage and repairs
Depending on the type emergency you have experienced, you may need to make repairs to your home or place of business. Your first consideration should be whether you have insurance that covers you for damage.

Claiming on your house insurance
If an emergency damages your property, you will want to claim it on your insurance. Here's how you can satisfy your insurer's requirements and maximise the success of your claim. You may also need to claim on your car insurance or your income protection insurance policy. FIDO

Building repairs
Before you arrange for any building repairs there are many things to consider, such as finding financial support, registered builders, insurance, contracts and safety codes. Consumer Affairs Victoria provides information for home owners, owner-builders, builders and tradespeople as well as other useful advice. A good place to start is the Building and Renovating Guide. This FREE Guide has a budget planner, handy checklists, useful contacts and legal information. It's important reading that can save you a lot of time and money, plus preserve your sanity. At the end of the Guide is a comprehensive list of building definitions plus a directory of experts who can provide a range of building advice. It can be obtained by calling 1300 651 501, from any Bunnings Warehouse, or online.

Financial support and assistance

The Department of Human Services administers a range of personal hardship grants where a principal place of residence has been affected by a disaster or an emergency or where an evacuation has been required. These grants are designed to cover a range of contingencies from the very basic inability to meet day to day expenses including food and clothing where these have been lost or are not accessible, to more comprehensive expenses where a home is inaccessible due to the nature of the emergency and finally where the a home is affected by the disaster and the individual or family need assistance on a broader scale.

In some circumstances Centrelink may be able to provide support to those affected by a specific emergency event.

Where they are made available, Rural Finance administers the Victorian Government concessional loans to primary producers and small businesses whose properties have suffered loss or damage as a result of the direct impact of bushfires, or other emergencies. Householders whose principal residence has been lost or damaged are also eligible to apply.

Information on budgeting and dealing with unexpected events is available from the FIDO, the website of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. They also provide advice on financial counselling; how counsellors can help and where to contact them.

Current information

As part of its role in providing prompt, clear and concise information during an emergency, ABC radio may broadcast information on Emergency Relief Centre locations. The Office of the Emergency Services Commissioner website provides more information and a list of participating radio stations. This information may also be provided on an ad hoc basis by other commercial radio services.