Disaster Recovery Funding and Assistance

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  • Australian Disaster Assistance Map. Use this map or search to find the Local Government Areas which have been declared natural disasters. People in those area can apply for disaster recovery payments.
  • Financial assistance is available for eligible people and businesses impacted by declared disasters. These include:
    • Disaster Recovery Payment for a lump sum payment to help people adversely affected by a major disaster in Australia or overseas. The one-off payment is $1000 per eligible adult and $400 per eligible child.
    • Disaster Recovery Allowance(DRA) is a short-term income support payment to assist individuals who can demonstrate that their income has been affected as a direct result of a disaster.  The DRA assists employees, small business persons and farmers who experience a loss of income as a direct result of a major disaster. You might be eligible for a maximum of 13 weeks payment from the date you have or will have a loss of income as a direct result of a disaster. 

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

  • AASFA funding. When activated, AASFA provides funding via Task Request Numbers issued on a case-by-case basis to private veterinarians to facilitate emergency animal assessment and treatment for a condition that is as a direct result of the disaster event.
  • AVA Liaison Officer. The AVA when requested works with AASFA to assist in veterinary communications and support to disaster impacted animals.

Government details and assistance can be found on the following  Queensland Government websites:

 

Personal assistance

The AVA Veterinary Benevolent Fund exists to help any veterinary professional, AVA member or not, going through financial hardship, including impacts from the recent floods. No circumstance is insignificant, and no request is too small. Your situation matters to us and we want you to reach out. Contact AVA Member Services (even if you are not a member) for a confidential, understanding discussion around your circumstances. We’ll then put you in touch with one of the Veterinary Benevolent Fund Trustees.

Recognising the personal impact you may be experiencing, we encourage you to utilise the AVA Telephone Counselling Service. This service is available to AVA members, the vet professionals that work for you (who may not be members) and your family members. It is available all day every day on 1300 687 327. If you’re having trouble dealing with something in either your personal or work lives, the free confidential telephone counselling service is there to help. A qualified counsellor is available to help you and maintains complete confidentiality. 

The AVA THRIVE is a veterinary wellness initiative that aims to support veterinarians and veterinary staff to lead satisfying, prosperous and health careers. THRIVE provides a suite of support programs and resources that offer some facts about some of the threats to the health and wellbeing of veterinarians.

Lifeline: 13 11 14

Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636or visit Beyond Blue

 

Providing support

Below provides ways people can provide assistance and support in response to the floods. If you know of any vet or clinic who has been impacted by the floods please let the AVA know through the Member Hotline - members@ava.com.au or 1300 137 309.

Financial donations

The AVA Veterinary Benevolent Fund helps veterinary professionals and their families affected by disasters, illness, financial hardship, accident or otherwise having a tough time. To help and support veterinarians, financial donations can be made to the Veterinary Benevolent Fund. 

Note for donating goods: We understand that many clinics that are not affected by the disaster are keen to reach out to assist in practical ways by offering to donate items, since many of our colleagues would have lost supplies as a result of the floods. Past experience with goods in kind donations indicates that a significant portion of donated materials are disposed of and unused. Logistics and transportation also consumes a large amount of overheads. We appreciate the good intentions of donors and encourage financial contributions which ultimately allow more flexibility for designation where the need is most severe. Where direct relationships exist between clinics and equipment is available for donation or loan, then we encourage clinics to reach out to each other directly.

Volunteer

Vets Beyond Borders' Australian Veterinary Emergency Response Team (AVERT). AVERT is a nationwide database ready to be activated following natural disasters or emergency animal disease (EAD) outbreaks in Australia.

VIC Volunteer Database. As a key partner of the Victorian Emergency Animal Welfare Plan, the AVA assists with a volunteer database of veterinarians and veterinary nurses to support animal welfare emergencies. Please contact members@ava.com.au

Donated goods

We understand that many clinics that are not affected by the disaster are keen to reach out to assist in practical ways by offering to donate items, since many of our colleagues would have lost supplies as a result of the floods. Past experience with goods in kind donations indicates that a significant portion of donated materials are disposed of and unused. Logistics and transportation also consumes a large amount of overheads. We appreciate the good intentions of donors and encourage financial contributions which ultimately allow more flexibility for designation where the need is most severe.

Where direct relationships exist between clinics and equipment is available for donation or loan, then we encourage clinics to reach out to each other directly.