Fund Payments
More than $266 million has now been allocated from the Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund. The Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund Advisory Panel is using these donations to support families and communities affected by the bushfires by providing vital financial assistance to help the rebuilding and recovery processes.
The grants currently available fall into four main categories:
Initial Emergency Payments
These are the first payments that were released from the fund after the bushfires. Applications for these payments have now closed. However, if you have not applied for an Initial Emergency Payment but believe you are eligible, then please contact the Bushfire Appeal Fund on 1800 180 213 to discuss your circumstances.
| Payment | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Compassion and Bereavement | To provide immediate support to those families that have lost loved ones in the 2009 Victorian bushfires. | $10,000 for next of kin |
| Initial Home Dislocation | To assist people who lost their principal place of residence or were otherwise unable to return to their home. | $5000 per household, plus $2000 per person over 18, and $1500 per child under 18 living in the household |
| 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. | $5000 lump sum |
Rebuilding and Recovery Payments
These are payments for homeowners and landowners whose property was destroyed or damaged by the fires.
They can help with the rebuilding and repair of homes and other buildings, replacing destroyed home contents and making your property more fire-safe.
| Payment | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Destroyed Homes | To assist home owner/occupiers whose principal place of residence was destroyed by the bushfires. | $35,000 lump sum, plus $15,000 contents payment, plus an up to $50,000 needs-based payment |
| Damaged Homes | To assist with the repair of bushfire damage to homes, outbuildings or other structures to your principal place of residence. | $15,000 lump sum, plus a up-to $7500 needs-based payment |
| Tenant Contents | To assist tenants whose primary place of residence was destroyed by the bushfires to replace lost or damaged contents. | $15,000 lump sum |
| Home Under Construction | To assist owners of residential properties which were under construction and destroyed in the 2009 Victorian Bushfires. | $25,000 - $35,000, depending on eligibility |
| 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. | $3000 lump sum |
| Rural Properties Recovery | To assist individual rural landowners in the bushfire affected areas who have suffered hardship. | Up to $5000 |
| 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 | Up to $4000 |
| Primary Producers Repair and Restoration | To help primary producers who have suffered loss or damage to their properties as a result of the bushfires. | Up to $10,000 |
Support Payments
These payments help people dealing with health problems and hardship as a result of the bushfires.
The Initial Emergency Payments provide some other options for support.
| Payment | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Exceptional Hardship | To assist individuals and small businesses facing immediate hardship, distress or misfortune as a result of their contribution to the bushfire effort. | Up to $8000 |
| Severe Injury | To assist people who have been hospitalised and require surgery or further hospital treatment. | $7500 lump sum |
| Severe Injury Transition to Home | To assist severely injured victims of the 2009 bushfires with their transition from hospital to home. | $50,000 lump sum plus up to $50,000 for those eligible |
| Winter Needs | To assist families and individuals to buy the essentials they need this winter. | $2000 per household |
| 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. | Vouchers for up to six sessions are issued |
| 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. | $4.2 million for community based programs |
| Transitional Support | To support those who lost their primary residence in the bushfires in their transition to permanent accommodation. | Up to $15,000, depending on eligibility |
| Compassionate Financial Support | 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. |
May be eligible to receive an immediate payment of $25,000. Some further support may be available to those eligible for the first payment, and in extreme financial hardship. |
Community Payments
These payments help local governments provide support to their bushfire-affected communities.
| Payment | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Local Government Payment | To assist bushfire-affected councils to deliver disaster-related services that directly benefit residents. | $9.1 million package to be shared among councils |
Further information
For more information on any of the payments call the Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund on 1800 180 213 or email vicbushfireappealfund@dhs.vic.gov.au
The Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund is administered by an independent panel of community leaders and chaired by the Hon Pat McNamara. All proceeds are going towards bushfire victims and no part of the Fund is used for the administration of the Fund. Every cent donated to the Fund will go to bushfire-affected individuals and communities.