Floods Assistance

The Australian Federal Government has announced assistance measures for those affected by flooding in Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales.

The Australian Government has agreed to provide ex-gratia assistance to New Zealand non-protected Special Category Visa holders (subclass 444) residing in Australia who can provide evidence they have been working in Australia in the past three years and who have been affected by the recent flooding events in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.

The Australian Government is working hard to develop the services that will be available. Claim forms, including an online claim form, will be available on the Centrelink website from Monday 31 January 2011.

Information on other assistance options can be found on the Centrelink website.  

Please note that the Australian Government has advised that non-protected Special Category Visa holders, i.e. those who arrived in Australia after 26 February 2001, are not eligible for the Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment. 

New Zealand citizens living in Queensland and Victoria may be eligible for the Disaster Income Recovery Subsidy and should refer to Centrelink for further information.

The Queensland Government has also announced assistance measures for which New Zealand citizens may be eligible.  Information and claims forms for the Queensland Premier's Disaster Relief Appeal can be found at the Queensland Government website.  Information on other assistance grants, such as the Personal Hardship Assistance Grants and Essential Household Contents Grants, can be found at the Queensland Community Services website.

The Victorian Government has announced similar measures, details of which can be found on the Victorian Department of Human Services website.