Emergency Services
ABOUT >> EMERGENCY SERVICES
- For any urgent animal welfare needs or to report any agricultural losses and damages resulting from the floods, please contact the VicEmergency Hotline on 1800 226 226
- For regional issues relating permits or any other agriculture issues please use the following email addresses (if unsure on region email both addresses and staff will triage and respond appropriately)
- For Loddon Mallee region: [email protected]
- For Hume region: [email protected]
- For information on emergency warnings, visit emergency.vic.gov.au and refer to local emergency broadcasters for the latest accurate information.
Funding assistance
On 19 October 2022, the Victorian Government announced a funding package to support primary producers and small businesses across Victoria affected by flooding to assist the relief effort. The $73.5 million package will deliver grants to help farmers and business owners clean up their properties, while business mentoring, concessional loans and transport subsidies will help businesses get back on their feet.
Primary Producer Flood Relief Program
- The $19.5 million Primary Producer Flood Relief Program will deliver a one-off $10,000 payment – administered by Rural Finance – to primary producers directly affected by the floods to help them clean up, re-establish their properties, and get their businesses up and running again.
- The grants will cover activities like the removal and disposal of debris and injured or dead livestock, repairing essential equipment, fixing and replacing fencing, buying fodder, water and water storage, salvaging damaged crops, grain or feed, and hiring or purchasing materials to clean up a property or equipment.
- Primary producers whose properties have been directly hit are also eligible for concessional loans of up to $250,000 to restore or replace damaged assets, and meet general expenses incurred while the clean-up is underway.
- Flood-affected primary producers can also claim up to 50 per cent of transport costs – up to $15,000 – for the transport of emergency fodder or stock drinking water, and moving stock to agistment, sale or slaughter.
- For support and information relating to the Primary Producer Flood Relief Program please contact Rural Finance on 1800 260 425 or visit the Rural Finance website
Support for Businesses
Business owners will be supported through the $54 million Business Flood Relief Program.
- Directly impacted businesses will be eligible for a one-off payment of $5,000 to support clean-up, safety inspections, repairs, the hiring of equipment and purchase of stock that businesses need to get back in business as quickly as possible.
- The program will also support a dedicated Business Relief Service – with dedicated mentors to guide business owners through the available Commonwealth, state and local supports, manage insurance and landlord issues and build a strong recovery strategy.
- For support and more information relating to the Business Flood Relief Program, please visit Business Victoria or call the Business Victoria hotline on 132 215.
Support for Mental Health
- As part of the funding support, the Victorian Government has announced a $4.4 million initial package that will support any extra mental healthcare flood-affected Victorians need. This includes $500,000 for specialist agriculture organisations, including the National Centre for Farmer Health, to provide dedicated mental health support to primary producers whose properties, livestock or crops were lost in the floods.