Flood Resources for Northern Rivers

The infomation below contains important information about how people can receive ongoing support in the days, weeks and months ahead.

FACE TO FACE SUPPORT

Dot Point  Resilience NSW, community members, and Council are operating dedicated Flood Recovery Centres across the Northern Rivers, providing face-to-face support for residents of the Byron, Ballina, and Tweed Shires.
The following services can be found at these available at these centres:

  • Resilience NSW
  • Centrelink
  • Red Cross
  • North Coast Housing
  • Legal Aid
  • Service NSW
  • Communities and Justice (DCJ) - Housing
  • Services Australia
  • NDIS
  • Social Futures
  • Salvation Army
  • Social worker and counsellor
  • Insurance/financial assistance
  • Chaplain
  • Support for businesses

Find your nearest recovery centre www.service.nsw.gov.au/floods/recovery-centres
Dedicated Service NSW hotline 137788 for outstanding clean ups and assistance
Ballina Auto Recyclers can pick up and offer cash for flood affected cars: (02) 6681 4170

TO ASK FOR COMMUNITY HELP ONLINE (for anything you need due to floods):

 Dot Point  WEBSITES:

  • mullum.live/help (for finding and listing volunteer help)
  • healmullum.com (affected residents can book healing treatments)f
  • www.nsw.gov.au/floods/clean-up-advice (requests and advice on flood clean ups)
  • www.headtohealth.gov.au/search-resources (resources tailored for disaster)

Dot Point  FACEBOOK Groups:

  • ‘Byron Shire Urgent Flood Assistance’
  • ‘Northern NSW 2022 Floods Community Clean Up and Help’
  • ‘Resilient Byron’
  • ‘2022 Flood Aftermath: SGB/NB/OS’ (asking for photo/video records of the area)
  • ‘Wellbeing during Floods Byron Shire and Beyond’
  • 'Upper Main Arm Flood Relief'

HOUSING SUPPORT

Dot Point  Immediate hotel accommodation – providing immediate accommodation to give people time to make interim arrangements to find a temporary home. This is provided through Link2Home: call 1800 422 322
DCJ Housing - 1800 422 322 (to register or go to Recovery Hub at Mullum)
www.recoveryproject2022.com - volunteer site to request support finding housing.
 
Dot Point  Grants towards initial rental costs – providing a scalable grant to individuals and families for short-term temporary accommodation while their home is being repaired. 
This grant will be available to people not otherwise covered by insurance, and will increase according to the size of the household:
  • For a 1 person household $6,000 
  • For a 2 person household $7,200 
  • For a 3 person household $9,200 
  • For a 4 person household $12,400 
  • For a 5 person household $15,200 
  • For a 6 person household $18,000 
  • For a household with more than 6 people, the cost will increase by $2,800 for each additional household member. 
Dot Point  Recreation camps – providing additional medium-term accommodation through camps at Camp Koinonia, Lake Ainsworth Sport & Recreation Centre and Camp Drew, to accommodate over 200 people. 
Dot Point  Mobile Motor Homes – utilising existing caravan parks, and establishing new sites to provide medium-term housing, with the provision of additional accommodation and recovery services. 
Dot Point  AirBnB and Red Cross - the Red Cross has agreed operate a broker service to connect displaced people in need of accommodation with available properties. The Red Cross will appoint full-time staff to manage this service for a period of four months. 
Dot Point  Temporary Dwelling program - extending a temporary housing program that allows people to stay on their land in a temporary dwelling (including caravans, demountable homes etc). This temporary dwelling program is most suited to those that need to continue managing stock and farmland while rebuilding. 
Dot Point  Housing Flood Recovery Service – providing dedicated assistance to people with complex needs to move into longer-term accommodation through deployment of case managers and dedicated support staff. 

 

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE 

If you, your family, belongings, home, vehicle, business, or ability to work have been impacted by the floods, you may be eligible for support from the NSW Government and Services Australia. 

Services Australia are offering once off payments of up to $1000 per person and $400 per child if your home has been damaged, or you have been seriously injured. Short-term financial assistance of up to 13 weeks is also available if you have lost income as a result of the floods. Call on 180 22 66 or visit their website to check if you are eligible. 

The NSW Government is offering a range of financial support including disaster relief grants, additional child care subsidies, and fee waivers for replacing government documents. 

Dot Point Use the Disaster Assistance Finder here: https://disasterassistance.service.nsw.gov.au/

Dot Point Or, visit the Service NSW website: https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/floods/financial-assistance

Dot Point Your bank may also offer support if you are unable to pay fees or loans. See information from the Australian Banking Association here: https://www.ausbanking.org.au/for-customers/financial-difficulty/?fbclid=IwAR36HKcBuqAIGu8gJB3b-Czi3-0LYuEYm_OhVANxd_ry8Arhurus_tyTTZ8

 

MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT 

  • Lifeline - 13 11 14
  • Suicide call back service - 1300 659 467
  • Beyond Blue - 1300 2246636
  • Kids helpline - 1800 55 1800
  • Mensline Australia - 1300 78 99 78
  • Mental health Access line (North Coast Area) - 1800 011 511
  • Domestic and Family Violence - 1800RESPECT - 1800 737 732
  • Family support service - The Family Centre - (07) 5524 8711
  • Carer support - Carer Gateway - 1800 422 737
  • Social futures - Family connect and support - 1800 327 679.
    (general service for families who need support)
  • Healthy North Coast's free 24/7 GP telehealth service - 1800 931 158 (Urgent health advice including scripts etc if unable to get regular GP appt) or go see your local GP.

EMERGENCY ANIMAL WELFARE HOTLINE

The NSW Government has opened an emergency animal welfare hotline for flood-affected farmers, landowners and communities in Northern NSW for immediate assistance if dealing with stranded, injured or perished livestock.

The emergency hotline for assistance with stock or animal welfare issues is 1800 814 647

Members of the community should also call the emergency hotline number if they come across stranded, lost, injured or dead livestock, so that we can arrange to attend to these animals.