Natural Disasters

In recent years we’ve seen some devastating natural disasters happen across Australia. From heatwaves, droughts, bushfires through to severe storms, floods, landslides and tropical cyclones, many Australians have been impacted in different ways.

Not only do natural disasters impact your business and your clients but also you personally. Here are some links to help you and your clients prepare for a natural disaster and what steps you can take if you personally are experiencing financial hardship.

Helpful resources

• REINSW has developed a Disaster and Flood Relief Toolkit available to everyone. It includes information for Property Managers, disaster payment support/relief, questions to ask tenants, FAQs and many more useful resources.
• REIQ has developed a Disaster Toolkit to assist real estate professionals affected by severe events. The disaster toolkit includes FAQs and fact sheets for sales agents and property managers, insurance issues, Office of Fair Trading (OFT) information, Residential Tenancies Authority (RTA) information, Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) information and more.
• REIWA has developed a series of articles and resources available on their website to keep individuals informed, particularly in relation to the impact that natural disasters can have on the real estate industry. This includes information on "How natural disasters affect the property market", "What happens if the property you rent is affected by a disaster?" and information on "Managing a property affected by a disaster".
  

State Emergency Services (SES) and Government links

The links below are here to assist those who have been or may be affected by a natural disaster.

Plan and Prepare

Information to help households and businesses plan for natural disasters. 

• WA - Hazard Information, Emergency Preparation, Warnings and Incidents
• NT - Public Safety Advice, Emergencies and Safety
• SA - Incidents and Warnings, Preparing for an Emergency
• QLD - Prepare, Get Ready Queensland
• NSW - Before a Flood, Get Ready NSW
• ACT - Be Emergency Ready
• VIC - What You Need to Know, Prepare and Get Ready, Be Flood Ready, Incidents and Warnings 
• TAS - TasAlert: Get Ready, Plan and Prepare, Flood Preparation 

Recover

Information to help households and businesses recover from natural disasters.

• Natural Disaster Support for payments and support to those affected by natural disasters in Australia
• WA - Natural Disasters: Health and Support
• NT -   Recover from an Emergency
• SA - Disaster Recovery Services, Flood Relief and Financial Assistance
• QLD -  After a Disaster 
• NSW -  Disaster Relief and Support,  Recovering after a Flood,  Disaster Financial Assistance
• VIC - Relief and Recovery 
• TAS - TasALERT, Recovering from an Emergency 

Australian Insurance Line

The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) is the representative body for the general insurance industry of Australia. They are following disasters to coordinate insurer response; see contact details below: 

• ICA disaster hotline 1800 734 621
• Visit Insurance Council - Current Catastrophes for more information.
  
  

Health and Wellbeing 

We know that natural disasters can affect our usual coping strategies. That's why REI Super is proud to offer members, their partners and their children access to 360Health Virtual Care. 360Health Virtual Care is all about providing expert medical support so you can receive guidance from the comfort of your home. You can receive a confidential, in-depth mental health review by a team of Australian-based experts. Click the button below to find out more.

Beyond Blue is also available to help support and advise you. Available nationally on 1300 22 4636.

Experiencing personal financial hardship? 

If you are experiencing high levels of debt and need financial help, you may be able to access some of your super early due to severe financial hardship or on compassionate grounds. Find out things you can do by visiting our financial hardship page.