Following a significant emergency event, you may not have access to electricity or internet, and access to/from homes may become cut off.
The first 72 hours are usually the most crucial. During this time, many services will be inundated with requests for help - this is one of the many reasons why it's essential to have a comprehensive plan in place before an emergency event occurs.
Where to get help after an emergency
During and immediately after an emergency, a variety of agencies and organisations will offer immediate relief, including at an Emergency Relief Centre. Depending on the nature of the emergency, the need for support and assistance can continue for weeks or months.
- Contacting council can be a good way to get help and answers to your questions - we have Planners, Building Surveyors and Environmental Health staff that can assist with queries specific to your situation.
- The VicEmergency website contains a comprehensive register of information on a variety of relief and recovery resources, including bushfire, flood and storm. The information can change when particular events are taking place or have happened. Visit the VicEmergency website.
Many other resources are available to assist:
Financial and legal assistance and support
Each emergency will trigger different levels of financial assistance and support. The agencies and organisations listed below will be able to provide you with information relating to the support that may be available.
Mental health, family violence and other assistance
Surviving an emergency event can have substantial impacts on your mental health. Making use of the help available will likely lead to a faster recovery.
It’s important that following a traumatic event, you book in to see your GP, a counsellor or similar service provider.
Incidences of family violence also increase after experiencing an emergency. Please reach out for help from friends or family or contact one of the agencies below for assistance if you need help.
Resources:
Helpful links:
Returning home and cleaning up
General resources
- Are U Ready? Surviving Small Business Disaster(PDF, 5MB) - Kindly made available by the Small Business Mentoring Service Inc (SBMS)
- Are you using unsafe river water in your home?(DOCX, 93KB) - from Victorian State Government Health and Human Resources
- Asbestos fact sheet(PDF, 465KB) - from EPA
- Asbestos in flood damaged homes and buildings(PDF, 1MB) - from Worksafe Victoria
- Cleaning up after an emergency (easy English)(PDF, 1MB) - from Australian Red Cross
- Coping with a major personal crisis (easy English)(PDF, 611KB) - from Australian Red Cross
- FAQ factsheet(PDF, 352KB) - from Emergency Recovery Victoria
- Flood disaster recovery and support links(DOCX, 14MB) - from Victorian State Government Families Fairness and Housing
- Flood safety and clean up(PDF, 470KB) - from EPA
- Floods: mould and your health(PDF, 683KB) - from Better Health Channel
- How to get help in natural disasters (easy English)(PDF, 3MB) - from Victorian State Government Families Fairness and Housing
- Local trades factsheet(PDF, 193KB) - from Emergency Recovery Victoria
- Mould and your health(PDF, 58KB) - from Victorian State Government Department of Health
- Private water sources during floods(DOCX, 136KB) - from Victorian State Government Department of Health
- Renting in a disaster advice(PDF, 137KB) - from Consumer Affairs Victoria
- Septic tanks during floods(DOCX, 138KB) - from Victorian State Government Department of Health
- Structural assessment and make safe factsheet(PDF, 356KB) - from Emergency Recovery Victoria
- Structural assessment information for caravan residents(PDF, 185KB) - from Emergency Recovery Victoria
- Treating swimming pools following floods(DOCX, 151KB) - from Victorian State Government Department of Health
Insurance
Contact your insurance company as soon as possible and seek advice about the claims process.
After an emergency event, Council enters into recovery mode with the goal of supporting impacted communities.
Regardless of the size of an emergency there is a contact point at Council and if necessary, a dedicated team of people to assist affected community members.
The nature of recovery will vary according to the emergency and can take on many different forms.
In a high level situation where whole communities are impacted, Council may establish an Emergency Recovery Centre. A variety of agencies and organisations may operate out of Council’s Emergency Recovery Centre and offer a range of programs and support to the community, including:
- Insurance advice
- Accommodation and financial support
- Meeting place for the community to come together and support one another
Council’s Recovery Hub located at 48 Mackay Street, Rochester.
The hub is open:
Monday - Wednesday: 8.30am - 5pm
Thursday: 8.30am - 7pm
Friday: 8.30am - 5pm
The Recovery Hub is the primary location for people to access the services and support they need to recover from the flood.
The hub is staffed by Council’s dedicated community recovery officers, and is home to a range of government and professional agencies.
Click here to download the Recovery Hub Services Guide.(PDF, 811KB)
A mobile recovery van visits locations across Campaspe Shire.
The Victorian Parliament's Legislative Council Environment and Planning Committee is investigating Victoria's preparedness for, and response to Victoria’s major flooding event of October 2022. The inquiry will look into the flood event as a whole and the areas affected, and consider factors such as what caused or contributed to the Flood Event including emergency services, government policy, flood mitigation strategies and the Victoria planning framework.
Campaspe Shire Council looks forward to the findings of the Inquiry into the 2022 Flood Event in Victoria and any recommendations for solutions to minimise the frequency and severity of floods in the future.
Click on each link below to read the submissions:
Campaspe Shire Council Inquiry submission(PDF, 779KB)
Murray River Group of Councils Inquiry submission(PDF, 877KB)
Media releases:
25 August 2023: Campaspe Shire-Council presents a flood inquiry public hearing
For more information on the Flood Inquiry, including videos of the public hearings, please visit https://new.parliament.vic.gov.au/floodinquiry.