Fund Payments
The Victorian Bushfire Appeal raised more than $395 million, including interest – making it the largest single charitable appeal in Australia’s history. Every cent is being used to support individuals and communities affected by the 2009 Victorian Bushfires.
The Fund is now fully committed, with $314 million assisting affected individuals and families and about $81 million for community identified initiatives. More than $305 million has been disbursed so far, with more than 27,000 payments made.
The remaining funds are being distributed as individuals apply for new support gifts, community-rebuilding initiatives come online, and as new programs, projects and services are delivered to those in need.
Below is a list of all payments the Appeal Fund has made available to bushfire-affected individuals and communities (the majority of these gifts are now closed).
| Payment | Purpose | Open/Closed |
|---|---|---|
| Compassion and Bereavement | To provide immediate support to those families that have lost loved ones in the 2009 Victorian bushfires. | Closed |
| Initial Home Dislocation | To assist people who lost their principal place of residence or were otherwise unable to return to their home. | Closed |
| Tools of Trade | To assist people who lost equipment vital to their trade and employment (including safety equipment) and are an employee working for a registered business. | Closed |
| Payment | Purpose | Open/Closed |
|---|---|---|
| Destroyed Homes | To assist home owner/occupiers whose principal place of residence was destroyed by the bushfires. | Closed |
| Damaged Homes | To assist with the repair of bushfire damage to homes, outbuildings or other structures to your principal place of residence. | Closed |
| Tenant Contents | To assist tenants whose primary place of residence was destroyed by the bushfires to replace lost or damaged contents. | Closed |
| Home Under Construction | To assist owners of residential properties which were under construction and destroyed in the 2009 Victorian Bushfires. | Closed |
| Household Repairs | A short-term measure to help people affected by the bushfires to make minor repairs to property, due to fire water or smoke damage, or other repairs. | Closed |
| Rural Properties Recovery | To assist individual rural landowners in the bushfire affected areas who have suffered hardship. | Closed |
| Safe Removal of Hazardous Trees | To help residents in bushfire-affected areas meet the cost of assessing and removing hazardous trees on their private properties | Closed |
| Primary Producers Repair and Restoration | To help primary producers who have suffered loss or damage to their properties as a result of the bushfires. | Closed |
| Payment | Purpose | Open/Closed |
|---|---|---|
|
To provide some financial assistance to individuals who lost an immediate family member in the 2009 bushfires and are suffering financial hardship due to that loss. |
Closed |
|
| Financial Hardship & In Need of Permanent Accommodation Gift | To provide financial assistance to owners of a Principle Place of Residence (PPR) that was destroyed in the 2009 Victorian bushfires who are experiencing financial hardship and are not yet in permanent accommodation. | Closed |
| Permanently Impaired Gift | To provide financial assistance to individuals who, as a direct result of the 2009 Victorian bushfires, have sustained physical or psychological injuries that have resulted in a permanent impairment and are experiencing financial hardship. | Closed |
| Psychological Support Packages | To provide support for children and young adults, counselling services for people who need more support and forums in which people can share their experiences. | Open |
| Psychological Support Package 2 | To provide support for older people, families, men and women, who may be experiencing stress, trauma and isolation, to cope and reconnect with their communities. | Open |
| Exceptional Hardship | To assist individuals and small businesses facing immediate hardship, distress or misfortune as a result of their contribution to the bushfire effort. | Closed |
| Severe Injury | To assist people who have been hospitalised and require surgery or further hospital treatment. | Closed |
| Severe Injury Transition to Home | To assist severely injured victims of the 2009 bushfires with their transition from hospital to home. |
Closed |
| Winter Needs | To assist families and individuals to buy the essentials they need this winter. |
Closed |
| Transitional Support | To support those who lost their primary residence in the bushfires in their transition to permanent accommodation. |
Closed |
| Scholarships | To provide financial support to students undertaking undergraduate or vocational studies who have suffered financial hardship as a result of the 2009 bushfires. |
Open |
| Bushfire Recovery Wellness Voucher Program | To provide for allied health or complimentary therapy sessions to individuals directly affected by the 2009 bushfires. | Open |
| Further Housing Assistance Gift | To provide further assistance to people to help finalise their housing circumstances. | Open |