Date posted: 18/10/2022
Natural disaster resources for Australia
A range of resources and useful links to help members respond to, and recover from, natural disasters in Australia.
In Brief
- Our thoughts are with our members, your clients and the wider community during natural disasters.
- Wellbeing, government assistance and other resources for members, their clients, businesses and community
- We will continue to update this page with new links and natural disaster resources as they become available.
As natural disasters such as floods, storms, bushfires and droughts impact our lives in Australia, our thoughts are with all our members, particularly those in practice supporting their clients and the wider communities. We know there are many who have experienced extreme losses or have needed to evacuate to safety.
Chartered Accountants are often the backbone of their communities, and it is during times like these we often draw on the strength of our community and peers.
Your CA community is here to support you. We have a range of resources to help you respond and recover, including a Checklist for Small Businesses Impacted by Natural Disasters and a Mental Health First Aid Guide for Chartered Accountants.
Your wellbeing
| Resource link | Description |
| CA Wellbeing | CA Wellbeing provides resources and information to support mental health and wellbeing for our members. This includes counselling support through our Employee Assistance Program which is available to all members and can be accessed 24 hours, seven days a week. As a member, up to three sessions are provided free of charge. |
| Wellbeing tools and resources for Practitioners | Resources and information designed to support the mental health and wellbeing of you, your clients and colleagues. |
Your clients and business
Government assistance for your clients and business.
| Resource link | Description |
| ASIC | ASIC's natural disaster relief if you are having trouble paying fees and/or lodging documents |
| ATO | ATO help with tax affairs for taxpayers affected by an event or natural disaster |
| Services Australia | Australian Government support payments for people directly affected by natural disasters |
| Australian Government Recovery Connect | Find flood services and government assistance in your location |
| National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) | Information on disaster recovery services and support |
| Insurance Council of Australia | Insurance information and resources for people impacted by disasters, including the 2022 floods |
| NSW Small Business Commissioner | Support services available for small business owners affected by the 2022 storms and floods |
| Service NSW | Search for natural disaster assistance on the NSW Disaster Assistance Finder |
| NSW Government disaster recovery | Financial support, information and assistance for individuals, families and businesses impacted by the NSW floods |
| NSW Government flood information and support services | Emergency financial support for people affected by floods in NSW from 22 February 2022 onwards |
| NSW Government floods grants and other support |
Financial assistance for individuals, businesses, NFPs, farmers and primary producers impacted by storms and floods in NSW |
| NSW natural disaster declarations | Access assistance available in NSW Local Government Areas where natural disasters have been declared |
| NSW Rural Assistance Authority | The NSW Rural Assistance Authority (RAA) provides access to loans, grants, rebates and subsidies for primary producers, small businesses and not-for-profits |
| Revenue NSW | Information from Revenue NSW on the range of options that are available to help customers affected by natural disasters including the floods |
| Emergency Relief and Recovery Victoria | Information on COVID-19 and natural disaster relief and recovery assistance for families, businesses and farmers in Victoria. |
| Regional Development Victoria | Emergency relief support services and programs to assist families, businesses and farmers in Victoria |
| Emergency Management Victoria | Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) claims process |
| Tasmanian Department of Premier and Cabinet | Information on recovery from emergencies in Tasmania |
| Tasmanian Department of Premier and Cabinet | Emergency assistance grants |
| Business Tasmania | A list of recovery services contacts in Tasmania to assist your business following a disaster |
| Queensland Government disasters and emergencies | Information services and support for individuals, businesses and not-for-profits in Queensland impacted by disasters, emergencies and the pandemic |
| Queensland Government natural disaster assistance | Financial support and recovery information for small businesses and primary producers impacted by natural disasters in Queensland |
| Queensland Revenue Office |
Help for people affected by natural disasters in Queensland |
| South Australian Government recovery services | Information, services, grants and assistance to help individuals, businesses and primary producers recover from natural disasters in South Australia |
| Australian Banking Association | Emergency assistance contact details for the banks in Australia for assistance with financial difficulties following natural disasters. |
Your Community
Government assistance for your community.
| Resource link | Description |
| ATO: donating trading stock | Special income tax rules apply to the donation of trading stock, for business operators have trading stock such as building materials or groceries they want to donate, so check in with your accountant before proceeding |
| ABN lookup: tax deductible donations | To check if a donation will be tax deductible, use the ABN Look-Up online tool to confirm whether the gift recipient is an entity or fund that can accept tax deductible gifts |
| Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC): search register | Search register to help donors know they’re donating to a registered, genuine charity prior to donating to natural disaster victims |
| Resilience NSW | Resilience NSW leads emergency efforts to help communities rebuild and recover after natural disasters |
| NSW State Emergency Service | NSW State Emergency Services (SES) community advice |
| VIC Emergency | Victorian Government emergency warnings, response, relief and recovery assistance |
| QLD Fire and Emergency Services | QLD State Emergency Service (SES) community assistance for disasters and emergencies |
| South Australian Government emergencies and safety | Information on preparing for an emergency, where to get emergency advice and warnings, disaster recovery and support |
| Tasmanian State Emergency Services | What to do during a flood emergency |
| ACCC Scam watch | Scammers take advantage of natural disasters, targeting victims of the disaster and those in the community who want to help them. Scamwatch – an initiative of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) – has a helpful website on types of scams, a scam reporting service and help if you’ve fallen victim of a scam |
Other resources
| Resource link | Description |
| Managing the banking relationship following natural disasters | This guide has been created for accountants to help clients establish and maintain a good working relationship with the bank on behalf of their clients during or after floods, bushfires and other natural disasters. It has a Special Rural Insight |
| Crisis response and recovery in uncertain times |
Responding to a crisis and planning recovery through Business Continuity Planning. Includes links to a crisis response checklist, small business continuity checklist, risk and recovery checklists, CA ANZ’s Business Continuity Playbook and a guide to identifying and managing non-financial risks. |
| Help clients recover from natural disasters | An Acuity article that explores how CAs can help clients recover from of floods, fires, droughts and earthquakes. |
| CA ANZ checklist for small businesses impacted by natural disasters |
This checklist can be used by members impacted by natural disasters in their own business or to help them better advise clients who have been impacted. |
| Q&A: Dealing with natural disasters |
This technical Q&A answers: I have a client that has been affected by the recent floods. What are the issues I need to consider when dealing with clients affected by natural disasters and is there any guidance available to help me? |
| Accounting implications of natural disasters |
Information to assist businesses, their advisors and auditors when dealing with the accounting impacts of natural disasters. |
| CA Library crisis and disaster management reading list |
Access a range of resources from the CA Library collection to help you respond and recover from natural disasters. |
| Rural Aid | Rural Aid is an Australian rural charity that provides farmers affected by natural disasters with financial, wellbeing, counselling and fodder assistance. |
