Floods payments and information

By Terri Butler MP

I hope you are staying safe during this difficult time. Remember:
Triple Zero (000) for life-threatening emergencies
132 500 for SES assistance

Seeking your feedback on the floods response

The floods had a significant impact on our communities. I am keen to get an understanding of how locals were affected, and also receive any advice or opinions about the flood response. If you would like to provide me with your views, or tell me about your experiences, you can do so via:

www.terributlermp.com/floodssurvey

Update: I used this information to develop a submission to the Inspector-General of Emergency Management. You can read my submission here.

My office is open as usual

My office is open as usual despite the floods. We can help with all the usual things including Centrelink & immigration problems, 3397 1674 or drop in. And we’re happy to plug in your phone if you’ve lost power at home - BYO charger and come in and have a tea or coffee with us.

Federal government financial assistance

The Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment (AGDRP)

The Australian Government has announced the AGDRP as a one-off, non means tested payment of AU$1000 for eligible adults and AU$400 for eligible children affected by a major disaster either in Australia or overseas.

I am concerned that the Morrison-Joyce government has made the eligibility for this payment very limited. I encourage you to apply if you are not sure.

Disaster Recovery Allowance (DRA)

The DRA is a short-term income support payment to assist individuals who can demonstrate their income has been affected as a direct result of a disaster.

See more on eligibility requirements and further information, for both payments: here

My office can also assist with further information on these payments: call on 3397 1674.

You can make a claim for financial assistance via MyGov or by calling 180 22 66.

I have also arranged for Centrelink workers to be on the ground in West End where the power outages have been widespread. They are co-locating with Micah Projects and with West End Community House.

Access to payments: tell me your story

Are you having trouble getting the federal government payments?

If you have any trouble accessing these payments, or have concerns about them - tell me your story using this survey form:

Queensland government payments

Please visit the Queensland government online to find out about Queensland government payments, or contact your state MP.

You can learn more at https://www.qld.gov.au/community/disasters-emergencies/disasters/money-finance/eligibility-apply/seq-flooding-february-2022

Red Cross

Australian Red Cross are providing grants to people affected by the Queensland 2022 floods. There are two grants available:

Bereavement Grant of $20,000 to support next-of-kin of those who died as a direct result of the floods with immediate needs (funeral and other related expenses).
Household Grant of $500 per household to help with basic needs such as food, clothing or personal items for people whose primary place of residence was affected by the floods and who are experiencing financial hardship as a result.

Applications opens Friday 18 March 2022. You can apply at http://www.redcross.org.au/grants

Weather Forecasts

I strongly recommend that you download the Bureau of Meteorology app to your smart phone to keep abreast of warnings and watches in the local area.

http://www.bom.gov.au/app/

Insurance

If you're flood affected and looking to make an insurance claim remember to take stacks of photos before any clean up.

I expect insurers will be responsive & helpful but if you need me to flag anything with the Insurance Council, call me on 3397 1674.

Power

I want to thank our power industry workers who are doing everything they can to get the power back on safely.

You can use the Energex website to report power outages, get updates on current outages, and sign up for sms alerts: https://www.energex.com.au/home/power-outages/outage-finder/emergency-outages-text-view/

Orleigh Park transformer

I have also worked with the Queensland government to get the transformer moved at Orleigh Park. Getting this fixed was also the state MP's responsibility, as it is Energex infrastructure. However, during the past few days it has been made clear to me that the transformer's location at ground level at the park was a source of concern for many locals. I hope the relocation has eased these concerns, and I encourage anyone with Energex-related issues to continue to work with the local state MPs.

Communications

Telstra is offering disaster relief for flood-affected Queenslanders - including customers in suburbs in Griffith.

You can find more information about this on their website here.

Telstra is also allowing free use of the Telstra Air wifi network at locations where payphones are equipped to provide it.

Community support and recovery

If you would like to volunteer to help with cleanup for those in flood-affected areas you can sign up with Volunteering Queensland here. If you are an organisation in need of help, you can register via this link, too.

If you need help with cleaning up your own home, register to get help via the Brisbane City Council website here. I know that Kurilpa Futures and WECA in West End are also helping to coordinate volunteers in the area.

Thank you to those that have helped so far, and to those who are wanting to help in the coming weeks, and thank you to the many organisations offering their time and assistance across the Southside.

Anthony Albanese visit

I was able to show Federal Labor Leader Anthony Albanese the extent of the damage at the Hawthorne Ferry Terminal. We need to make sure the Morrison-Joyce Government does its job and supports those in need.

Drinking water

You will also have seen that SEQ water has previously encouraged people to try to conserve drinking water, while they resolve issues at Mt Crosby treatment plant. SEQ water has since indicated this is no longer required. You can follow them for updates on Twitter via @Seqwater.

Schools

If you have school-aged children you may wish to keep an eye on https://closures.qld.edu.au/ for potential school closures. The situation with schools has been changing with the weather. Of course, your best contact is the school itself.

Roads

When it is flooding, people are being asked to stay off the roads to the extent possible. If you want to find out about road conditions you can look at https://qldtraffic.qld.gov.au/

BCC alerts

If you haven't yet registered with the Council's emergency alerts service I really encourage you to do so via https://ewa.brisbane.qld.gov.au/register

Evacuation

Council established an evacuation centre at Sleeman Sports Complex at Old Cleveland Rd &, Tilley Rd, Chandler in the Chandler arena.

Thanks to workers and volunteers

A massive thanks and shout out to all SES, QFES, Police, BOM staff, traffic workers, Council workers, Energex workers, water utility staff, public health workers and others who are working hard to keep everyone safe.

Please take care.

If it's flooded, forget it. Back it up.

Remember:
Triple Zero (000) for life-threatening emergencies
132 500 for SES assistance