Recovery
Disaster recovery is a coordinated process to support individuals and communities through reconstruction of physical infrastructure, economic recovery, the environment and support in emotional, social, physical wellbeing and psychological health.
Please refer to the links below for more information.
Cleaning up
In most cases, people will want to return to their homes as soon possible after a disaster and undertake repairs to their home. But, for your safety, you should wait until hazards have been cleared, basic needs are available and the site is declared safe. Make sure you wear protective clothing when cleaning up and take the necessary precautions.
Insurance
There are various types of insurance that everyone should consider. However, the most important ones to consider include:
- Home building
- Home contents
- Motor insurance
Areas within an insurance policy to pay particular attention to:
- Level of cover
- Excess amounts
- Type of cover included (including whether flooding, storm tide are claimable events)
The following tips provide a useful guide for what people can do to assist when making an insurance claim.
- Know who you are insured with and keep their contact details in a safe place.
- Contact your insurance company as soon as possible after the event to register your intention to claim and seek advice about the claims process.
- If your home or business property is damaged, make temporary repairs only to prevent further damage. If possible, take photos of the damage before you start repairs.
- If your assets (furniture, carpet and clothing) have been damaged, remove them as part of a general clean-up.If possible, they should all be kept in a safe location so they can be inspected as part of the claims process if necessary.
Register, find, reunite
The Australian Red Cross has a platform called Register. Find. Reunite to help register, find and reunite family, friends and loved ones during a disaster.
Red Cross support volunteers help people to cope emotionally and practically during and after an emergency by providing useful practical information and advice, and assisting people to access services.
Emergency response in some states includes assisting with immediate emergency housing and food needs by providing a meal and hotel for the night for a family who has just lost everything in a single house fire, through to helping manage evacuation centres during larger-scale emergencies.
Donations
Mackay Regional Council has secured the assistance of Australian charity GIVIT to manage the donations of goods and services to support vulnerable members of our local community.
An online not-for-profit organisation, GIVIT’s donation portal givit.org.au connects those who have with those in need. It enables everyday Australians to see exactly what is urgently required by residents doing it tough within our region.
GIVIT currently supports more than 1000 of Australia’s most trusted charities by sourcing quality urgently needed items direct from the public.
By registering with GIVIT, local charities, not-for-profits and community organisations working directly with marginalised, disadvantaged and vulnerable people, those in need can tap into a national giving network and access free quality donated items.
The public can donate new or “as new” quality items via GIVIT into a virtual warehouse, removing the need for charities to sort, store or collect items until they are really needed.
Since GIVIT was established in 2009, more than 210,000 urgent requests for goods and services have been matched with the resources of community and corporate donors.
Volunteering
Emergency Volunteering CREW is a volunteer referral service created and managed by Volunteering Queensland.
This organisation links people who want to help out before and after disasters with organisations across the community who need helping hands.
They also make sure people with the required skills, availability and locality are referred into the areas of the community that need help the most. You can offer to help by registering with Emergency Volunteering CREW at any time.
Emergency and temporary accommodation
The Queensland Government through the Department of Housing and Public Works offer a range of services to help with accommodation options after a disaster event.
If you require emergency and temporary accommodation assistance, it is important to register your details and needs with the Department of Housing and Public works as soon as possible after the disaster event.
Financial assistance
The Queensland Government is committed to providing both immediate and ongoing support to people and communities that have been affected by a disaster.
Some of the financial assistance available include:
- Immediate financial assistance
- Essential Households Contents Grant
- Structural Assistance Grant
- Essential Services Safety and Reconnection Grant