Business and Residential Support

Call the Flood Recovery Hotline on 1800 560 760 for help with:

• a range of clean-up services
• finding somewhere to stay
• financial, mental health and other support

The recovery hotline is open every day. Press 9 for an interpreter.

These one-off payments are available to help people with immediate and essential needs during natural disaster-related emergencies, like emergency shelter, food, clothing or personal items.

In most cases, the payment is NOT available for:

• damage caused by construction or building works
• business losses
• motor vehicle repairs or towing
• compensation for the loss of income
• paying insurance excess
• loss resulting from power outages

Emergency relief assistance is based on a fixed amount for each member of your household (adults and children). There is a maximum amount for each household.

Only one application should be made per household, however:

• if more than one family is living within the same house, each family should apply separately for payment.
• if you live in shared or communal housing, each adult should apply separately.

This assistance will be paid after the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH) has checked your eligibility. Once approved, the payment will reach your bank account in three to five business days.

Call 1800 226 226 for more information.

Mallee Family Care: Free locally-based financial counselling service, offering confidential advice, information, support and advocacy for people experiencing financial difficulty, including those in immediate crisis as a result of the flood event.
Appointments with financial counsellors can be made by calling (03) 5023 5966 or emailing mfc@malleefamilycare.com.au.

Support is available in Mildura and the wider Mallee region, including providing short and long-term solutions, determining ongoing needs and referrals to other support services.

Financial Counselling Victoria: In person or phone-based support for sole traders, business partners, personal and family finances and dealing with financial hardship and debt. Visit https://fcvic.org.au/find-a-financial-counsellor/ to find your nearest service.

Rural Financial Counselling Service (RFCS) Victoria West: Rural Financial Counselling Services (Vic West) are available to assist primary producers to complete applications for grants. Visit https://RFCSVictoriaWest.com.au or call 1300 735 578.

National Debt Helpline: For immediate assistance and/or to be connected to your nearest service contact 1800 007 007.

Offering free and confidential legal advice and information, referrals and case work.

Support is available in Mildura and the wider Mallee region by calling 1800 243 002 (free call), emailing your details to clc@malleefamilycare.com.au or by visiting Mallee Family Care’s main office at 122 Ninth Street Mildura. 

For more information visit Mallee Family Care - Mallee Family Care Community Legal Centre

Free service one-on-one support from a local business relief adviser available via telephone and on the ground to:

• guide business owners through the available Commonwealth, state and local supports
• help businesses assess impacts, manage insurance, landlord issues
• form strategies for recovery

The Business Relief Service can be accessed via submitting an online form on the Business Victoria website business.vic.gov.au or contacting the Business Victoria hotline on 132 215. The hotline operates seven days a week from 7.30am to 7.30pm.

National support line staffed by specialist small business financial counsellors – immediate assistance and referral for ongoing support. Call 1800 413 828.

Partners in Wellbeing offers a free, confidential, one-on-one support service for small business owners, which can be accessed via the free helpline on 1300 375 330. 

By calling the helpline small business owners and employees will have direct access to support including trained wellbeing coaches, financial counsellors and business advisors. The helpline operates between 9am and 10pm weekdays and between 9am and 5pm weekends.

More information is also available at Small Business support (partnersinwellbeing.org.au)

The Victorian Primary Producer Flood Recovery Grant of up to $75,000 is available to support clean-up, relief and recovery efforts. This grant replaces the $10,000 Primary Producer Flood Clean-Up and Relief Grants announced 21 October 2022. Applications close 13 July 2023 at 4pm. For Tier 2 payments, applicants have up to 6 months after 13 July 2023 to make claims with full evidence of payment (tax invoices and official receipts) required to be submitted by 13 January 2024.

The Victorian Rural Landholder Grant of up to $25,000 is available to help rural landholders who have an eligible smaller-scale primary production enterprise with clean-up, relief and recovery efforts. If you do not meet the eligibility for the $75,000 Flood Recovery Grant, but operate a smaller-scale primary production enterprise, you may be eligible for this grant. Applications close 13 July 2023 at 4pm. For Tier 2 payments, applicants have up to 6 months after 13 July 2023 to make claims with full evidence of payment (tax invoices and official receipts) required to be submitted by 13 January 2024.

The Victorian Primary Producer Flood Recovery Transport Support Program is available to help pay for the transport of emergency fodder or stock drinking water, and moving stock to agistment, sale or slaughter. This program provides a subsidy of up to $15,000 paid at 50 per cent of the total costs. Applications close 13 July 2023 at 4pm.

Primary producers, small businesses and not for profit organisations whose properties have been directly impacted or who have suffered a significant loss of income as a direct result of the 2022 Victorian floods and storms are eligible to apply for a Victorian Primary Producer Flood Recovery Concessional Loan of up to $250,000 to restore or replace damaged assets, and meet general expenses incurred while the clean-up is underway. Applications close 13 July 2023 at 4pm for primary producers and 25 May 2023 for other applicants.

See ruralfinance.com.au for details on all of these programs.

Rural Finance administers this program which is jointly funded by the Commonwealth and Victorian Governments through Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.

You can get financial help to return home if:

• You cannot live in your home because it is damaged or destroyed OR
• You cannot access your home for more than 7 days because of flooding
• This is called "re-establishment assistance". It is only available for your principal place of residence.

Re-establishment assistance can help to pay for:

• Clean-up
• Emergency accommodation
• Repairs
• Rebuilding your home
• Replacing some damaged contents

Eligibility for this payment depends on your household income. You can only get it if you:

• Do not have building (home) insurance or contents insurance AND
• Are experiencing financial hardship

Call the Flood Recovery Hotline on 1800 560 760 to find out if you can get financial help to return home. The hotline can also help you learn about other help available.

Visit https://www.emergency.vic.gov.au/relief/#financial_support for more information

Up to 13 weeks payment to help eligible individuals losing income as a direct result floods.

Available to eligible individuals that work or live in an affected Local Government Area, lost income as a direct result of the floods, and earn less than the average Australian weekly income in the weeks after this income loss.

Apply through Services Australia https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/

A lump sum payment to help individuals significantly affected by floods. It is not for minor damage or inconvenience. Its purpose is to help with major damage to your property or other assets.

Available to individuals that are in a Local Government Area that has been declared for a disaster.

If you’re eligible you’ll get:

• $1000 per adult
• $400 for each child younger than 16

Apply through Services Australia https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/

GIVIT: Item requests and donations to those impacted by Victoria’s flooding.
Visit givit.org.au/storms-and-flooding

Australian Red Cross: Donate to on-ground emergency response teams in flood-affected areas.
Visit redcross.org.au/donation/disaster-response-and-recovery/

Disaster Relief Australia: Volunteer organisation providing expert and civilian disaster relief.
Visit disasterreliefaus.org/volunteer/

Community Enterprise Foundation: Donation fund providing support to a range of local charitable groups in flood-affected areas.
Visit communityenterprisefoundation.com.au/disaster-appeals/victorian-flood-appeal/

Victorian Farmers Federation Disaster Relief Fund: Donate to farmers impacted by flooding.
Visit vff.org.au/donations/

Wildlife Victoria October Flood Appeal 2022: Donate directly to Wildlife Victoria’s Emergency Rescue Service.
Visit wildlifevictoria.org.au/actnow

Tools and resources to help families cope with flood events.

Visit emergingminds.com.au for more information.

Tools and resources are available through Tenants Victoria to help renters concerned about a notice of eviction or other matters related to renting.

The support line is answered by lawyers, advocates and intake workers with specialist knowledge.

Visit tenantsvic.org.au/articles/floods-and-renters/ for more information.

Call the Disaster Legal Help Victoria hotline on 1800 113 432 for free information and advice relating to floods, including:

• Tenancy
• Insurance
• Property damage
• Parenting arrangements
• Bail

Disaster Legal Help Victoria can also assist you in finding a lawyer.

Available weekdays 8am-6pm. 

The Dept. of Families, Fairness & Housing (DFFH) Utility Relief Grant Scheme provides relief for paying an overdue utility bill (gas, electricity, water) due to temporary crisis. 

You can apply for the grant if you are an eligible concession card holder (Pensioner, Health Care, VA Gold), or part of a low-income household. The grant is applicable for both renters and homeowners.

You must show that you have no way of paying the account without assistance, and meet one of the following criteria:

• You or someone in your household is experiencing family violence
• Recent decrease in income (eg. lost job)
• High unexpected cost for essential items
• Cost of shelter is more than 30% of household income

If you are eligible, you can receive a maximum of $650 on each utility type within a 2-year period (or $1300 for households with a single source of energy eg. electricity only). Applications are made directly to utility company/supplier.

For more information visit: services.dffh.vic.gov.au/utility-relief-grant-scheme or call 1800 658 521

Free of charge, confidential support for farmers, family members and employees.

You can connect over the phone or in person with 4 counsellors available across Victoria.

Detailed breakdown of services is not publicly available. Call 1300 175 594 or visit www.ruralaid.org.au/counsellors for more information.

National Centre for Farmer Health – Building Farm Spirit program are committed to supporting primary producers whose properties, livestock or crops were damaged or lost in the floods through the delivery of initiatives to boost farmer mental health and wellbeing, including:

• A supportive online community through the #BuildingFarmSpirit social media campaign
• Free access to online psychology support delivered by farmer health trained psychologists
• Grant of between $500-$1500 (per event) to support community events providing social connection and mental health promotion opportunities for farmers, farming families and farming communities (close 30 May 2023)
• Distribution of mental health resources and support information  

See farmerhealth.org.au/buildingfarmspirit for more details.