For our community members, clients and friends impacted by the flooding in many parts of Queensland, please stay safe.
While in this state of emergency:
- Please follow the directions of the emergency services.
- If you are advised to evacuate, leave immediately. Do not wait.
- If you are in a life threatening emergency, contact 000.
- Stay clear of fast moving water, and don’t drive through flooded creeks and rivers.
- If you have been evacuated, do not return to your home until you have been advised it is safe.
- Please use tap water for drinking & food preparation, and personal hygiene only. Clean supply may still be critically low.
- Monitor closely warnings & updates through your local councils emergency dashboard
See below for some information for those communities impacted by the December 2023 flooding in Queensland, compiled with the kind assistance from our friends at Cairns Sexual Health updated 10am, December 21st 2023.
Key Links for Assistance for TC Jasper
Queensland Government Disaster Payments
Queensland Government Disaster Recovery Payment (1 off payment for people severely impacted)
AND
Queensland Government Disaster Recovery Allowance (means tested allowance for loss of income).
Click here for more information. You can also do this application over the phone 180 22 66 if you have trouble accessing your myGov account.
Queensland Government Community Recovery Hotline 1800 173 349
Queensland Government Personal Hardship Assistance
Tropical Cyclone Jasper Personal hardship financial assistance. This includes access to:
- Emergency Hardship Assistance – $180 for individuals or $900 for families of 5 or more
- Essential Services Hardship Assistance- $150 for individuals, $750 for families of 5 or more
- Essentials Household Contents Grant (if uninsured) $1765 for individuals and up to $5300 for couples or families
- Essential Services Safety and Reconnection (income assessed, uninsured) $4200 for repairs and replacements, $200 for inspection
- Structural Assistance Grant (income assessed, uninsured, low income owner occupier) up to $50,000
Phones and Data
Telstra are giving free data to affected customers. Post paid get a text message, pre paid need to contact Telstra Disaster Assistance ph 1800 888 888
Optus are adding 2 months of free data and you can phone ph 1800 507 581 for affected customers.
Banks
Most big banks and many small are offering hardship arrangements for paying credit cards, repayment of loans, and mortgages, waiving fees, restructuring business loans.
Google your bank and phone their support line, or look for their financial hardship section.
NAB are offering a $1000 grant to their impacted clients and other assistance.
ANZ have a dedicated team waiting to help 1800 149 549 or visit local branch where possible.
For folks with ANZ insurance they may be able to access emergency funds and temporary accomodation phone 13 16 14
Commonwealth Bank have activated Emergency Assistance and are offering their customers: temp overdrafts, additional loans, waived fees, deferred loans, early access to term deposits and insurance clients also have extra options.
Housing
The Queensland Government has a dedicated page on Housing help after a disaster
This includes access to:
- Community Recovery Hotline on 1800 173 349
- Rent Connect & mortgage relief
- Disaster clean up & repair
Employer and Super Assistance
Employer help: talk to your employer about access to early pay, or any other help offered through your workplace
You may be able to access your super early if you have experienced a natural disaster. Financial hardship | QSuper
Emergency Funding for PLHIV
People living with HIV may be able to access our Emergency Treatment Fund, including help with payments for other medications. Your doctor, nurse, or other staff member at your GP, s100 prescriber, pharmacy, or sexual health service needs to make this application on your behalf.
Mud Armies
“Mud Armies” are the networks set up by community members. You can contact Cairns Community Flood Appeal on Facebook to request help
Urgent HIV Treatment & Care
Urgent or treatment related concerns, please seek advice from your GP, out of hours medical provider (e.g. Home Doctor Service 13 7425), sexual health clinic or hospital emergency department (if required).
A list of sexual health service providers (including their opening times) can be found here by inputting your post code
Urgent Mental Health Concerns
Mental Health Access Line (MHCALL) 1300 64 22 55
Lifeline (crisis support and suicide prevention) 13 11 14
Suicide Prevention Counselling 1300 659 467
Domestic Violence Support
If you identify as a women, please call the Womensline: 1800 811 811
If you identify as a male, please call the Mensline: 1800 600 636
If you identify as non-binary, please call the service that you feel most comfortable contacting, and let us know whether you have a preferred pronoun.
If you have experienced sexual violence, please call Sexual Assault helpline: 1800 010 120
Emotional Support
BeyondBlue (emotional support 24 hours a day) 1300 22 4636.
QLife (national LGBTI peer support service) 1800 184 527.
QPP A reminder that QPP will close at midday December 22nd 2023, and will reopen on January 8th 2024.
