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QDN Flood Disaster Recovery Advice

Numbers to call for help and advice:

Queenslanders with Disability Network      07 32528566 / 1300 363 783 (local call)

Community Recovery Line               1800 173 349

Brisbane City Council Call Centre 3403 8888

Information below has been collated from various government sources.

Assistance for People with disability

      QDN has contacted Disability and Community Care Services, within the Department of Communities, and they have   advised people with a disability, who require assistance to recover from the queensland floods crisis to contact the regional office of department of communities.

Here’s a list of Department of Communities Regional Offices:

Greater Brisbane

Address:                    Level 2, Muruk Haus, 230 Lutwyche Road Windsor Queensland 4030

Postal address:         GPO Box 2186, Windsor Queensland 4030

Phone:                        (07) 3109 0620

Gold Coast

Address:                    14 Edgewater Court, Robina Queensland 4226

Postal address:         PO Box 4387, Robina Town Centre Queensland 4230

Phone:                        (07) 5583 4400

Moreton                    (Temporarily closed)

Address:                    5-7 Wharf Street, Ipswich Queensland 4305

Postal address:         PO Box 516, Booval Queensland 4304

Phone:                        (07) 3280 1777

Mackay and Whitsunday

Address:                    Level 2, Healthpoint Pharmacy Building 67-69 Sydney Street Mackay Queensland 4740

Postal address:         PO Box 858 Mackay Queensland 4740

Phone:                        (07) 4967 4420

Sunshine Coast

Address:                    91-95 Howard Street, Nambour Queensland 4560

Postal address:         PO Box 695 Nambour Queensland 4560

Phone:                        (07) 5470 8700

Darling Downs/South West

Address:                    Level 6, 10 Russell Street, Toowoomba 4350

Postal address:         PO Box 2427, Toowoomba Queensland 4350

Phone:                        (07) 4699 4222

Wide Bay Burnett

Address:                    Level 1, Brendan Hansen Building, 50-54 Main Street, Hervey Bay Queensland 4655

Postal address:         PO Box 1490, Pialba, Hervey Bay Queensland 4655

Phone:                        (07) 4125 9398

Fitzroy/Central West Queensland

Address:                    Level 3, State Government Building 209 Bolsover Street, Rockhampton Qld 4700

Postal address:         PO Box 1503, Rockhampton Queensland 4700

Phone:                        (07) 4938 6996

North Queensland (Townsville)

Address:                    Level 2, Suncorp Building, 61 Sturt Street Townsville Queensland 4810

Postal address:         PO Box 588 Townsville Queensland 4810

Phone:                        (07) 4799 5533

Far North Queensland (Cairns)

Address:                    Level 3, 85 Spence Street Cairns Queensland 4870

Postal address:         PO Box 4626 Cairns Queensland 4870

Phone:                        (07) 4048 9336

Mt Isa

Address:                    Level Ground, Mt Isa House, Mary Street, Mt Isa Queensland 4825

Postal address:         PO Box 1843, Mt Isa Queensland 4825

Phone:                        (07) 4747 3499

Community recovery support and assistance

Queensland Floods

Assistance is available to individuals and families who have been flooded in Balonne, Banana, Barcaldine, Brisbane, Bundaberg, Central Highlands, Fraser Coast, Goondiwindi, Gympie, Ipswich, Lockyer Valley, Mackay, Maranoa, Moreton Bay, Murweh, North Burnett, Rockhampton, Scenic Rim, Somerset, Southern Downs, Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba and Western Downs council areas.

 

The needs of individuals and families will be assessed and the most appropriate support will be provided from a range of options including referrals to non-government organisations, financial assistance and other advice and assistance.

 

Residents who have been flooded and require assistace should phone the Community Recovery Line on 1800 173 349.

 

Community Recovery and Coordination Centres have also been established to provide a broad range of support and assistance for people affected by the disaster at:

 

Brisbane RNA Showgrounds
Gregory Terrace, Bowen Hills
(open 9am to 5pm)
 

Brisbane QEII Stadium
Kessels Road, Nathan
(open 9am to 5pm)

 

Bundaberg PCYC
37D Maryborough Street
(open 9am to 5pm)

Caboolture SDA Church Hall
55 Caboolture River Rd Morayfield
(open 9am to 5pm)

 

Chinchilla Cultural Centre
80/86 Heeney Street
(open 8.30am to 5.30pm)

 

Dalby Myall Youth Community Centre
Cnr Drayton and Nicholson Streets
(open 8.30am to 4.30pm)

 

Emerald McIndoe Park, Opal Street
(open 9am to 5pm)

 

Ipswich Showgrounds
81 Warwick Road
(open 9am to 4pm)

 

Rockhampton Show Ground
James Lawrence Pavilion
(open 9am to 5pm)

 

Theodore RSL Hall
The Boulevard
(open 9am to 4pm)

 

This information derived from:

http://www.communityservices.qld.gov.au/community/community-recovery/support-assistance/index.html

 Advice to residents returning to their premises

Health and safety advice

  • Protect yourself from possible contaminants and bacteria in residue floodwaters by always wearing rubber gloves and water resistant clothing, including gumboots. You should also wear goggles or a face mask to protect your eyes from any splashing water and cover any open wounds before you start cleaning.
  • Ensure you maintain hygiene standards after any clean-up activities, such as showering well with antiseptic soaps as flood waters are contaminated.
  • Protect yourself from insects with repellent and clothing. As floodwaters recede, empty any containers that are holding water.
  • Avoid clean-up activities at night as this is when accidents can occur and medical assistance is difficult to access. Take the evening to rest and recover for daylight hours.
  • Allow for adequate ventilation by opening windows and doors.
  • Be aware that floors will be slippery, even after water has receded.
  • Watch out for snakes that may have entered your house to escape floodwaters.
  • Keep children away from flood affected houses and areas for their safety.
  • Be mindful of the amount of water you are using in the clean up.  This may seem absurd in a flood zone, but clean water may be in short supply.

 

Electricity/power safety

  • If your home has been affected by floodwaters, contact a licensed electrician to do a safety check of wiring and switchboards before turning on the power. All electrical equipment that may have come into contact with floodwaters should also be checked by an electrician before using.  IF IN DOUBT – DON’T USE.
  • Make sure all gas and electricity is turned off while you clean up.

 

Rubbish collection for flood related debris

Brisbane City Council will have industrial bins available and kerbside collections for flood damaged goods in affected areas once floodwaters recede. Detailed information of industrial bin locations, kerbside collection areas and times will be advised as soon as possible through the media and www.brisbane.qld.gov.au

 

When disposing of furniture, cupboards, drawers etc damaged by floodwaters, please check for any valuable/personal contents that may still be inside before disposing of them.

 

Spoiled Food

Throw out any food that may have come into contact with floodwaters or perishables that would have spoiled due to power outages BUT do not leave foodstuffs on footpaths. Skips and kerbside pick-ups are currently being scheduled and times and dates will be advised as soon as possible.

 

Residents in flood affected areas who can’t get to a transfer station are advised to place all food scraps in rubbish bags and tie up bags closed to contain odour as much as possible. Do not place food scraps on the footpath.

 

Skips will be placed in all affected suburbs for this purpose and locations will be advised as soon as possible.

 

Insurance Issues

If possible, take photos of damaged furniture, furnishings, appliances, dishes etc and then remove from your house.

 

This information from:

http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/factsheets/20110113_Fact_Sheet_residents_web.pdf
 

Financial assistance

If a natural disaster has been declared in your area you may be eligible for:

  • Personal Hardship Assistance
  • Essential Household Contents Grant
  • Structural Assistance Grant
  • Other financial assistance

 

When making a claim for assistance please make sure you have:

 

  • Drivers licence or ID card
  • Medicare card showing members of your family, and recent rates notice or electricity account showing your address.

 

Personal Hardship Assistance Grant

Personal Hardship Assistance may be available to individuals and families who do not have the capacity to meet immediate, unexpected basic costs for food, clothing, medical supplies or accommodation caused by the disaster.

 

This grant is a non-means tested once-off payment of $170 per person, up to a maximum of $850 for a family of five or more.

 

Personal Hardship Assistance are not means tested, however if you are seeking assistance you will need to establish that you have experienced, or will experience, personal hardship as a result of the disaster.

 

Individuals and families can express an interest in this grant by calling 1800 173 349

 

Eligibility for an Essential Household Contents Grant or a Structural Assistance Grant

The Essential Household Contents and Structural Assistance grants are means tested and will need to satisfy income and asset tests for these grants.

 

Income and asset tests are as follows:

 

Upper income limits:

Individual: $704/week + $51 for each dependent

Couple: $930/week + $51 for each dependent

 

Upper asset limits:

Pensioners: $25,101

Others: $6,135

 

Applications will be assessed on a case by case basis and you will need to discuss your eligibility for these grants with officers from the Department of Communities.

Essential Household Contents Grant

An Essential Household Contents Grant may be available to people who own essential household contents that have been lost or damaged in the disaster and who do not have contents insurance.

 

This grant is a means tested once-off payment of up to $1,705 per adult, up to a maximum of $5,120 for a couple/family.

 

Eligible household contents may include cooking utensils, clothing, bedding and linen, floor coverings, essential furniture and white goods and food lost due to storm damage. The grant assists with the repair or replacement of essential items and maximum limits apply for individual items.

 

An income test will be applied to applications for this grant. If you are eligible, departmental officers will visit your home, to assess the damage and to complete an application form with you.

 

You can apply for this grant by calling 1800 173 349.

 

Structural Assistance Grant

A Structural Assistance Grant may be available to property owners whose home has been damaged by the disaster. The home must be uninsured for this disaster event, owned by the applicant and their sole place of residence at the time of the disaster. The grant provides a contribution towards repair of the residence to a habitable and secure condition.

 

This grant is a means tested once-off payment of up to $10,500 per individual, and up to $14,200 for a couple/family, less amounts paid as an Emergent Assistance Grant and/or Essential Household Contents Grant.

 

An income and assets test will be applied to applications for this grant. If you are eligible, departmental officers will visit your home to assess the damage and to complete an application form with you.

 

You can apply for this grant by calling 1800 173 349.

 

Other financial assistance

Financial assistance may also be available through other government agencies as follows:

 

The Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment of $1,000 per eligible adult and $400 per child is available to eligible people adversely affected by the Queensland flooding. Centrelink also has a Disaster Income Recovery Subsidy  and a range of other payments and services to support people in an emergency or crisis, whether or not you are already a Centrelink customer. For more information, visit the Centrelink website or call the Emergency Assistance Hotline on 180 2266.

 

This information from:

http://www.communityservices.qld.gov.au/community/community-recovery/support-assistance/support-assistance.html

 

Regional Community Support Services Brochures

 

In the event of a disaster the Queensland Government will work with a wide range of organisations to minimise the impact and ensure the recovery of effected communities.

 

During and after a disaster you may need practical assistance or community support to assist you and your family.

 

To see brochures with information and contact details for key community services available in your area go to:

 

http://www.communityservices.qld.gov.au/community/community-recovery/support-assistance/brochures.html

 

Further information is available by phoning 1800 173 349

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