recovery and evacuations centres
All Community Services disaster recovery services are coordinated with community partners who each have a specific role in assisting victims of disaster.
evacuation centres
Evacuation centres provide people affected by disaster with immediate basic needs such as food, clothing, blankets, accommodation and personal support, as well as financial and other immediate assistance.
Evacuation centres not only provide a place of temporary refuge for people evacuated from homes in the vicinity of the disaster, but they are also a refuge for people who may be travelling through the affected area and are unable to progress due to local road closures.
People affected by disaster can formally register with Community Services at these centres.
Evacuation centres offer short-term accommodation while longer-term alternatives are determined.
disaster recovery centres
Following some disasters, the NSW Government will establish recovery centres to help affected communities rebuild.
The recovery centres are staffed by government and non-government agencies and provide a range of services from one location as a ‘one stop shop’.
Our role at the recovery centre is to coordinate welfare services. This may include financial assistance, personal support, organising temporary accommodation and information and referral.
Community Services delivers the welfare services with its community partners.
For example, someone affected by bushfire could visit the Disaster Recovery Centre and get information and advice on insurance, removal of debris and advice on rebuilding their home.
Services offered from Disaster Recovery Centres are designed to help people resume a normal life as quickly as possible.
In keeping with principles of minimising personal hardship and distress, Community Services provides financial assistance under the NSW Disaster Relief Scheme to people in distressed financial circumstances due to damages to homes and property.
This assistance is subject to an income and assets test. It may be provided for immediate or long-term needs.
Applications for grants from this fund may be made via a Disaster Recovery Centre if grants have been made available for victims of a particular disaster.