Queensland and NSW floods

Updated 1 May 2022.

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The flooding disaster in Queensland and New South Wales is a nationally significant emergency. For people in those communities, it will take years to recover.  

Long-term recovery support

The situation in Queensland and New South Wales is ongoing and we will be there to help communities through their long-term recovery.

Long-term programming in flood-affected areas may include:

• Psychosocial support activities such as the provision of psychological first aid, group psychosocial support and psychosocial support training.
• Support for local councils, formal and informal community leaders and groups through provision training, access to information, mentors, and expertise.
• Working with communities to increase social cohesion and strengthen resilience for future events, in partnership with emergency services agencies, local government, and other community services organisations.
• Through our involvement in local, regional, and state recovery committees and other forums, Red Cross advocates relation to the humanitarian and psychosocial impacts of this event, increased community representation in the recovery system and improved recovery coordination.

Flood donations

Thanks to the generosity of people around Australia, including businesses and governments, we raised around $40 million for our cash assistance program for people impacted by the floods in Queensland and NSW.

Australian Red Cross has stopped taking new emergency cash relief flood grant applications, as the number of applications has met the level of funds available. So far, more than $22 million dollars has been distributed through more than 43,000 grants, and an estimated 30,000 eligible applications will be processed in the coming days and weeks.

Cash assistance update »

Partner support

Red Cross has received a huge amount of support from more than 45 corporates and funders, including:

Channels 7, 9, 10; Coles, Commonwealth Bank, Telstra, Cotton On, Mindaroo Foundation, The Lott, McDonalds, Toyota, Super Retail Group, HBF, St John of God and Ramsay Health Care, Optus, Entain, Solo Resource Recovery, Isuzu Ute, Toyota, Red Energy, Super Retail Group, Toyota Financial Services, Harvey Norman, Youi, Swyftx, Mitsubishi, Frasers Property, American Express, Active8Me, Spotlight Group, 7Eleven, ITV Studios, H&M, Great Southern Bank, Steel Blue, Beacon Lighting, AIA, Freedom Furniture, Cash Converters, Beacon Trade, Case IH, New Holland, Belong, Fantastic Furniture, Godfreys and Bedshed. Also, Queensland couple John and Linda Van Lieshout donated $1 million to the appeal.

Red Cross would also like to acknowledge our Red Cross Disaster Collective Partners. They are always by our side supporting communities every step of the way – in preparation, response and long-term recovery. We’d like to take the chance to thank them for their continued support.

Those partners are: Australia Post, BHP Foundation, Commonwealth Bank, The Coca-Cola Company, IAG, and QBE.

1. Qld and NSW floods – Australian Red Cross Volunteer Joanna Matricardi reflects on the ongoing challenges challenging communities in flood damaged zones.

30 sec version: https://youtu.be/jUl4RIrFZwI

90 sec version: https://youtu.be/YI_K0LTbt9U

2. Renee is rebuilding her home because of floods for the second time in two years and is grateful for the flood grant: https://youtu.be/oZ1XdhEUEZw

 

 

Red Cross: on the ground

Evacuation and recovery centres
Red Cross teams can be found at evacuation and recovery centres to provide mental health first aid and connect people to services and support available to them. After the flood waters recede, Red Cross will continue to support communities through the recovery – which can take years. Register.Find.Reunite

Red Cross runs a tracing service to reunite people who have been separated in a disaster. It is called Register.Find.Reunite. Red Cross has been using this service throughout the floods. It was particularly important in these floods to connect people who had lost power and were unable to call loved ones. People registered online and in person at the evacuation centres.

The needs on the ground
The immediate needs are a safe place to stay, food and access to clean water. And one of the most important, and sometimes hidden, needs is supporting people’s mental health and wellbeing. The scale of loss, the size of the clean-up and uncertainty on top of COVID is devastating for people. As we move into the recovery phase, finding temporary housing is always an issue following a flood.

Universal distress
We are getting a lot of reports from the ground about how distressed and devastated people are. One of our veteran Emergency Services managers says he has never seen such universal distress. People are exhausted and overwhelmed. Red Cross personnel are providing mental health first aid and referral services to help support people’s mental health and wellbeing at this devastating time.

Access
One of the strengths of Red Cross is that we have volunteers in most communities. We were able to mobilise hundreds of volunteers from within communities that were cut off by flood waters. Many of those volunteers have had their own houses flooded and have been supporting other people in their communities by helping at the evacuation centres.

Blood donors needed
Australian Red Cross Lifeblood needs more blood donors. The pandemic has already sidelined an estimated 100,000 donors, and now extensive flooding across Queensland and New South Wales has seen Donor Centres across the region close, employees impacted and thousands of donors unable to access donor centres. “There is no substitute for blood, so we are calling for new donors to please help keep the blood flowing to our hospitals, particularly at this time when so many donors are cut off, isolating, or unwell, and when so many donor centres have been forced to close.” Australia’s growing population relies on just 500,000 blood donors across the country – and right now many of them need someone else to continue this lifesaving work. Donating blood will take only one hour of your time, and every blood donation can help save up to three lives. Book your donation at www.lifeblood.com.au, via the DonateBlood app, or call 13 14 95.