Community Recovery is here to help Queenslanders impacted by Tropical Cyclone Kirrily

Posted: Monday 12 February 2024

People can access face-to-face emotional support, assistance with grant applications and referrals to other organisations at Community Recovery Hubs in their local area.

Community Recovery Hubs are now operating in impacted communities across Queensland. For locations and opening hours, visit www.qld.gov.au/disasterhelp.

If you can’t visit a local Community Recovery Hub, you can access support and apply for grants by calling the 24/7 Community Recovery Hotline on 1800 173 349 or visiting www.qld.gov.au/disasterhelp.

A range of personal hardship assistance grants are available to help impacted residents in Burdekin, Charters Towers (targeted localities), Hinchinbrook, McKinlay (targeted localities), Moreton Bay (targeted localities), Townsville and Western Downs (targeted localities):

Emergency Hardship Assistance – $180 per person, up to $900 for a family of five or more, to support immediate essential needs, such as food, clothing or medical supplies.
Essential Services Hardship Assistance – $150 per person, up to $750 for a family of five or more, to assist with immediate needs following the loss of essential services at home for more than five consecutive days.
Essential Services Safety and Reconnection Scheme (income tested) – up to $5,000 per household to help uninsured residents reconnect damaged services like electricity, gas and water.

Eligible residents in Moreton Bay (targeted localities) and Western Downs (targeted localities) can also apply for the following grants:

Essential Household Contents Grant (income tested) – up to $1,765 for individuals and up to $5,300 for couples or families to replace destroyed essential household contents such as bed linen and white goods.
Structural Assistance Grant (income tested) – up to $50,000 for uninsured owner-occupiers towards the repair or replacement of a disaster-damaged dwelling to return it to a safe and habitable condition. This financial support is provided through the jointly funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).

This financial support is provided through the jointly funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).

Information about disaster support and recovery for culturally and linguistically diverse people is available in a range of languages at www.qld.gov.au/community/disasters-emergencies/disasters/resources-translations/disaster-information-language.

Free counselling and support are available through a dedicated Lifeline support line to help people recover practically and emotionally following the recent weather events.

If you need emotional support or someone to talk to, call Lifeline on 1800 116 671 from 8am to 8pm daily. After hours support is available by phoning Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Tropical Cyclone Kirrily January 2024

Personal hardship assistance grants are available for eligible residents who were affected by this event in these areas:

Burdekin Shire Local Government Area – all areas
Charters Towers Regional Local Government Area – targeted localities in:
- Hervey Range
Hinchinbrook Shire Local Government Area – all areas
McKinlay Shire Local Government Area – targeted localities in:
- Kynuna
- McKinlay
Moreton Bay Regional Local Government Area – targeted localities in:
- Arana Hills
- Beachmere
- Bray Park
- Burpengary East
- Caboolture
- Dayboro
- Eatons Hill
- Highvale
- Joyner
- Laceys Creek
- Lawnton
- Samford
- Strathpine
- Warner
- Wights Mountain
Townsville City Local Government Area – all areas
Western Downs Local Government Area – targeted localities in:
- Warra