Disaster recovery contacts by state: who runs business help where

When something big happens, the hardest part can be working out who does what. Federal, state, local council, insurers, the ATO — everyone has a role, and a lot of phone time is wasted calling the wrong one.

This page is a practical directory. Print it, or save it with your emergency plan. Our business emergency grab-bag guide covers what else should sit alongside it.

Which national contacts apply everywhere?

Contact	Use it for	Number or site
Emergency services	Immediate danger	000
DisasterAssist	Declared areas and disaster payments	disasterassist.gov.au
business.gov.au	Business programs by event, general help	13 28 46
ATO Emergency Support Infoline	Tax deferrals, lost records, payment plans	1800 806 218
Bureau of Meteorology	Weather warnings	bom.gov.au
Small Business Debt Helpline	Free financial counselling	1800 413 828
AFCA	Insurance and banking complaints	1800 931 678
Australian Cyber Security Hotline	Cyber incidents	1300 292 371
Lifeline	24/7 crisis support	13 11 14

Who handles recovery in New South Wales?

• NSW Reconstruction Authority — the state agency for disaster resilience and recovery. After the immediate danger passes, it leads recovery with communities and other organisations.
• Service NSW — has delivered small business recovery grants, including grants of up to $25,000 after the May 2025 East Coast severe weather.
• NSW Rural Assistance Authority — administers Natural Disaster Relief Loans (up to $130,000 for recent events), natural disaster transport subsidies and drought programs.
• NSW SES — storm and flood emergencies.

Who handles recovery in Queensland?

• Queensland Reconstruction Authority (QRA) — the lead agency for disaster recovery and resilience; manages the jointly funded Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements in Queensland.
• QRIDA — administers Disaster Assistance Loans and Essential Working Capital Loans when activated, as well as other rural and regional programs. See concessional disaster loans.
• Business Queensland — business information and support programs.
• Queensland Government emergency site — flood maps and alerts (qld.gov.au/emergency).

Who handles recovery in Victoria?

• Emergency Management Victoria — coordinates state and regional relief and recovery for the Victorian Government.
• Business Victoria — business support and disaster resilience information; after the January 2026 bushfires this included a Business Recovery Advisory Service and Small Business Financial Counselling Service.
• VICSES — flood and storm guides and emergency help.

What about the other states and territories?

business.gov.au lists emergency information sources for each jurisdiction, and DisasterAssist links to state and territory disaster information:

State or territory	Emergency information listed by business.gov.au
South Australia	SA State Emergency Service incidents map
Western Australia	Government of Western Australia river level information
Tasmania	Tasmania Alert
Northern Territory	Bureau of Meteorology NT warnings; NT Government industry support
ACT	ACT Emergency Services incidents map

Recovery programs in these jurisdictions are delivered by their own agencies when an event is activated. Check business.gov.au’s disaster assistance list and your state government’s website for the current contacts. More on how activation works in finding disaster help.

What should you ask each agency?

• Is my local government area declared for this event?
• What business programs are open, and when do they close?
• What evidence do you need, and in what form?
• Is there a recovery centre or advisory service I can visit?
• Are there any programs for loss of trade, not just physical damage?

Keep a log of who you spoke to and what they said — it saves repeating yourself later.

Where does funding fit?

Government help, insurance and hardship arrangements are the foundation. Recovery funding fills what’s left — usually a timing gap or costs nobody else will cover. If you’ve reached that point, start a short enquiry and a real person will talk it through, without a credit check at that stage.

Illustrative example only: a Townsville electrical contractor loses tools and a vehicle in a cyclone. The QRA site confirms the event is activated, QRIDA’s working capital loan is available, and the insurer is processing the vehicle claim. A short-term facility replaces the tools the same week so the contractor can take storm-repair work.

What does a recovery centre offer businesses?

After large events, state and local governments often open recovery centres or hubs in affected towns. They’re mainly set up for households, but they’re useful for business owners too:

• representatives from government agencies in one place
• help to understand which programs are open and how to apply
• information on clean-up, waste removal and rebuilding approvals
• referrals to financial counselling and wellbeing support
• local notices about road openings, utilities and council services

Check your state recovery agency’s website or local council for locations and hours, and take your ABN, ID, photos of damage and insurance details with you.

How should you keep track of who you’ve contacted?

In the weeks after a disaster, it’s easy to lose track of calls. A simple log helps:

Date	Agency or person	Reference	What was agreed	Follow-up

Keep it with your emergency action checklist printout, and you’ll always know what’s pending.

Ready to cover the gap?

Once the official calls are made, it’s much clearer how much funding you actually need.

Looking at options carries no downside: we don’t check credit at the enquiry stage. We don’t farm out enquiries — one team holds your file from start to finish. The person who rings you back will have read what you wrote and will want the full story.

Please take a moment to get the amount, purpose, state and property details right; a well-filled form is the quickest route to a useful answer. See if you qualify.