Bushfire preparation and recovery

It's important to be prepared in case you need to leave your home in an emergency.
By keeping your key documents in a safe place away from your home or saved online, you can access them when needed.

Find out how to prepare your documents in case of an emergency.

For the latest traffic information such as vehicle accidents, road closures and major roadwork, you can:

• visit the Live Traffic NSW website 
• get updates on the app:
  • Live Traffic NSW App (iPhone)
  • Live Traffic NSW App (Android)
• call the traffic information line 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on 132 701. 

For the latest public transport alerts, visit Transport for NSW.

Optus

• Check the status of your service
• Call 133 937 

Telstra

• Check the status of your service
• Disaster relief
• Find access to free Telstra Wi-Fi payphones
• Call 13 22 00

Vodafone

• Scheduled network maintenance and upgrades
• Contact Vodafone

The air quality index indicates how clean or polluted the air is in areas across NSW. For air quality readings that are updated hourly, visit the air quality website. 

Find how to protect yourself from bushfire smoke.

If you're an NDIS participant:

• call 1800 800 110 for priority support
• find out about assistive technology repairs, maintenance and replacement.

• Lifeline Australia – 13 11 14
• Beyond Blue – 1300 22 4636
• Mensline Australia – 1300 789 978
• Kids Helpline – 1800 551 800 (for children and young people aged 5 to 25)
• NSW Mental Health Line – 1800 011 511
• Suicide Call Back Service - 1300 659 467
• 13YARN - 139276

Find more mental wellbeing resources.

To let people know you're safe or to find and reconnect with people after a natural disaster, register with the Red Cross service, Register. Find. Reunite.

For assistance with pets, livestock (including horses), and wildlife:

• visit the RSPCA NSW website 
• call 1300 278 3589.

For advice about assisting injured wildlife

• visit WIRES Emergency Advice
• call 1300 094 737.

During significant emergency responses, the Agricultural and Animal Services Hotline (1800 814 647) will be activated for:

• animal assessment and veterinary assistance
• stock euthanasia and burial
• emergency fodder (up to 3 days supply)
• emergency stock water
• livestock feeding and management advice
• care of animals in evacuation centres.

Emergency accommodation

Temporary emergency accommodation for those that have no other means is available by visiting a recovery centre or by calling 13 77 88.

Link2Home

If you are homeless or at risk of homelessness and need immediate accommodation, please contact Link2Home on 1800 152 152.

Anglicare

Anglicare provides assistance through emergency housing, homelessness support and food relief.

If you've been affected by a natural disaster you can:

• find local Anglicare Housing and Homelessness Support Services
• find an Anglicare service provider in NSW.

Social housing

If you need private rental assistance, social housing or help with understanding your rights as a tenant:

• find out about support services for affordable housing
• visit a housing office near you.

To apply for financial support after a disaster, you'll be asked to provide proof of identity documents.

If your documents have been damaged or destroyed, they can be replaced or reissued free of charge, including:

• birth, marriage and change of name certificates
• work licences, permits and certificates
• passports and citizenship certificates
• enrolment to vote
• family law documents
• Medicare cards
• vehicle registrations and licences
• vessel registrations, boat and PWC licences
• fishing licences.

Visit identification, licences and personal documents.

Find out about disaster recovery payments, grants and financial assistance for:

• individuals and households
• businesses and farms (primary producers).

See the disaster assistance available from the Rural Assistance Authority. 

Banks offer help to customers affected by a natural disaster. This could include financial assistance packages, deferred loans, waived fees and grants. 

Contact your bank for details.

Indigenous Business Australia provides economic development opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

You may be eligible for the Temporary Financial Hardship subsidy for extra help with the cost of approved child care.

You may be eligible for reduced fees if your vehicle has been lost, destroyed or written off as a result of a declared natural disaster.

Find more support for driving and transport.

You may be eligible for a payment extension, hardship assistance or other allowances from Revenue NSW in relation to: 

• fines and overdue fines
• taxes, duties, grants and royalties
• payroll tax. 

Find out more about Revenue NSW natural disaster relief.

The ATO will generally stop sending correspondence to people in areas affected by major disasters and can take other steps to help you sort out your tax affairs once the crisis has passed.

To find out more:

• visit the Australian Taxation Office
• call the ATO Emergency Support Infoline on 1800 806 218
• follow the steps for reporting disaster payments and grants in your tax return.

• MoneySmart – ASIC: Urgent help with money
• National Debt Helpline: Find a financial counsellor
• Services Australia: Financial Information Service

Insurance coverage and claims

Contact your insurance provider to check your level of cover, exclusions and the assessment process.

Support

• Fact sheets for insurance coverage and claims – Financial Rights Legal Service.
• Free legal advice if you are affected by a natural disaster – Legal Aid NSW.
• What to do when damage to rented premises is caused by a natural disaster – Tenants' Union.
• Home insurance: storm, flood and fire – ASIC's Moneysmart.
• Plain language law resources about natural disasters – NSW Legal Assistance Forum.

Insurance Council of Australia

When the Insurance Council makes a catastrophe declaration, additional resources are made available to speed up insurance claims processing. This is a separate process from a disaster declaration made by the government. These declarations have no effect on your insurance, your excess or what is covered by your insurance policy.

To find what to do during and after a disaster, go to the Insurance Council of Australia.

Disaster Response Legal Service

If you need legal advice after a natural disaster, you may be eligible for free services to help you with:

• insurance claims and disputes
• employment
• financial hardship such as loans, mortgages and credit cards
• unpaid fines
• housing and rental
• coronial inquests
• Centrelink payments.

For free legal help you can:

• visit the Disaster Response Legal Service
• call 1800 801 529 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday.

Legal assistance services

For legal support and other free legal assistance services in your area:

• find out about ways to get legal help
• call 1300 888 529
• find a Legal Aid NSW advice service near you
• learn more about community legal centres
• go to the Aboriginal Legal Service.

If you have been affected by a natural disaster, legal advice and services are available from:

• Financial Rights Legal Centre – Insurance Law Service
• Tenants' Union of New South Wales.

For health advice to reduce your risk of injury, sickness or infection during and after a natural disaster, visit NSW Health.

Electricity, gas and water supply

If your gas, electricity or water supply is disconnected, do not attempt to reconnect the service yourself. 

To check a builder, tradesperson or related licence, see Check a builder or tradesperson licence.

Clean-up support

If your property has been severely damaged or is not suitable to live in because of a natural disaster, contact your local council. They will let you know what clean-up support is available to you.

Clean-up support can be for a residential or business property.

Waste levy fee waived

In declared natural disaster areas across NSW, the NSW Government may waive the waste levy fee:

• for residents disposing of building materials, furniture and any other disaster-generated waste cleared from private or public land

• at relevant facilities within the local government area where the natural disaster declaration applies.

Contact your local council for more information.

Hazardous waste removal

Hazardous waste includes materials such as:

• acids and alkalis

• brake fluids and coolants, car care products

• cleaning products

• paint, polishes, varnishes, stains

• solvents (including paint thinners, turpentine)

• pesticides, insecticides, rodenticides, herbicides and other garden chemicals

• pool chemicals.

Hazardous materials must be set aside for specialist disposal as directed by your local council.

Community Recycling Centres take household problem waste for free.

To find your nearest centre and for full details on what you can drop off, visit NSW EPA.

Asbestos removal

When removing any amount of asbestos, it is recommended that you always use a licensed asbestos removalist.

Find a local asbestos and demolition licence holder.

Learn more about asbestos hazards and safe handling.

Animal carcasses

Animals that have died should be handled as little as possible. Avoid contact with any body fluids from the dead animal.

Australia Post offers free mail redirection for up to 12 months to individuals and small businesses affected by natural disasters. For more information, visit Australia Post's website.

Find out how to change your address with:

• Transport for NSW (driver licence, car and boat registration)
• NSW Government
• electoral enrolment (voting)
• building and construction industry licence.

There are many ways to help communities affected by natural disaster in NSW.

GIVIT

GIVIT is an online non-profit organisation that manages donations to make sure people and communities get exactly what they need, when they need it. The GIVIT website lists items currently needed by people. You can select an item and choose to either donate or fund it.

You can also list an item for donation or give money that will be used to buy exactly what's needed.

Unrequested donations hinder recovery efforts. Please do not drop donations into the affected areas. Please check GIVIT’s website over the coming days and weeks to see exactly what is needed.

Other donations

You can make financial donations to:

• Australian Red Cross disaster response and recovery
• Foundation for Rural Regional Renewal
• Australian Lions Foundation Emergency Disaster Appeal

Useful links

Check a charitable fundraising licence

If you want to provide additional or temporary accommodation on your property, find out about changes to planning rules for:

• temporary accommodation
• outbuildings in rural areas
• secondary dwellings (granny flats).