Legal help for flood-affected communities

02/03/2022

Thank you to Community Legal Centres NSW for gathering the information and publishing the original version this article.

Our thoughts go out to the people, families and communities impacted by the flooding, storms, and dangerous rainfall across the state. Tenants Advice and Advocacy Services and Community Legal Centres are here to help.

Advice for renters

If you need renting advice, please contact your local Tenants Advice and Advocacy Service.

These resources might be helpful:

Factsheets:

Sample letters:

Podcast episodes

Advice for land lease community residents

If you need advice as a resident of a land lease community, please contact your local Tenants Advice and Advocacy Service – use the search bar above to find your local service.

Other sources of legal advice and help

Community legal centres

Community legal centres provide free and independent legal support. Community legal centres can help with the many legal problems disasters can cause, in addition to tenancy, which might include:

insurance claims
income and social security
credit and debt
family violence and family law
destroyed documents and wills
parenting arrangements

Use the Community Legal Centres NSW directory to find the details for community legal centres.

For people affected by flooding in the Northern Rivers, including Lismore:

Northern Rivers Community Legal Centre
02 6621 1000
Follow Northern Rivers Community Legal Centre on Facebook for updates on which evacuation centres they will be attending

For people who need help with insurance:

Financial Rights Legal Centre: Insurance Law Service
Insurance Hotline: 1300 663 46
Making a claim for flood damage factsheet, Insurance Law Service
If you’re affected by flooding, it might be hard to know how to start a claim on your insurance policy for flood damage to your home, car – or other unexpected costs. Use this fact sheet for information only.

For women affected by natural disasters:

Domestic Violence Legal Service at Women’s Legal Service NSW.
Phone: 8745 6999 or 1800 810 784.
Factsheet with information about family law parenting issues and child support if you are you are affected by a natural disaster.
Factsheet which provides information if you have an AVO for your protection and you are affected by a natural disaster.

For people who need help with Centrelink or social security issues:

Welfare Rights Centre
Phone: (02) 9211 5389.
Email: sydney@welfarerights.org.au

For small businesses, farms and other primary producers affected by floods or other climate disasters:

Natural Disaster Community Support, Justice Connect

Law Access and Legal Aid

LawAccess NSW can help you find free legal help.
Phone 1300 888 529 between 9:00am to 5:00pm Monday to Friday.
Disaster Response Legal Service NSW (Legal Aid NSW)
Phone: 1800 801 529 between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday
Legal Aid NSW can help with everyday legal problems including insurance claims and disputes, financial hardship, tenancy and Centrelink.
Legal Aid factsheets on climate disasters and legal issues:

Other support and resources

Flood relief assistance
The NSW Council of Social Service has an up-to-date list of supports you can access.
Financial support recovery payments
If you’re directly affected by the floods, you may be able to apply for one or more government payments.
Grants for people affected by the QLD and NSW 2022 floods
Australian Red Cross has made certain financial assistance available.
Mental health support after a natural disaster, Lifeline
Phone: 13 11 14
Responding to natural disasters, a trauma informed approach
This webinar is for community workers on how to take a trauma informed approach when working in flood-affected areas.
Assisting clients affected by natural disasters, AskLOIS
A factsheet on assisting clients affected by natural disasters.
Insurance basics - following a disaster
A podcast featuring the Legal Aid Disaster Response Service NSW.