A range of grants is available to help you with your recovery. If you’re struggling to navigate your options you can speak with a team member at your Local Recovery Centre.
If you need help with financial decisions after a bushfire, visit the moneysmart.gov.au dealing with natural disasters website for advice.
SA Business Information Hub
The SA Business Information Hub provides information, advice and support for businesses impacted by bushfires and COVID-19.
National Debt Helpline
Free financial counselling is available by contacting the National Debt Helpline on 1800 007 007. You can receive free, independent and confidential advice to help you manage your debts or negotiate with creditors. The service does not provide investment advice or recommend products, or receive commissions.
Small business owners and sole traders can also access free financial counselling by calling the Small Business Bushfire Counselling Support Line on 1800 413 828. You can speak with a financial counsellor about your options. The service is non-judgmental, free, independent and confidential.
Assistance for individuals/families
- Assistance grants (Red Cross)
- Bushfire Recovery grants (Salvation Army)
- NBN relief package
- Kangaroo Island Mayoral Relief and Recovery Bushfire Fund
Assistance for primary producers
Assistance for groups/organisations
- Community Recovery Grants Program (Bendigo and Adelaide Bank)
- NAB Foundation Community Grants
- SA Healthy Towns Challenge Round 4
Red Cross Assistance Grants
Who is it for:
- Additional support grant for people who have received Red Cross’ previous bushfire relief and recovery grants, and are on a low income, and are still in financial hardship because of the bushfires. Final round will be open for application in February 2021.
Find out more:
Bushfire Recovery Grants (Salvation Army)
Who it is for: Bushfire-affected people in financial hardship. Grants include:
- Hardship Recovery Grant
- Significant-Loss Grant
- Total Loss of Residence Grant.
Find out more:
NBN Relief Package
How much: One-off credit of up to $300
Who it is for: NBN customers who have lost their home or business in the fire. NBN customers living and/or operating a business in the fire scar are also eligible to apply for a one-off credit of up to $50.
Find out more:
- Contact your internet service provider
Kangaroo Island Mayoral Relief and Recovery Bushfire Fund
Category 1 – Deceased persons
How much: $20,000
Who it is for: Next of kin of the people who died in the fire.
Category 2 – Injury
How much: Up to $5,000
Who it is for: People seriously injured by the fire and who had an extended stay in hospital.
Category 3 – Destroyed homes
How much: $5,000 per eligible household plus $500 per child under 18 years of age residing at the premises.
Who it is for: Property owner/occupiers and tenants whose principal place of residence was rendered uninhabitable by the fire.
Category 4 – House and/or property damage
How much:
- $2,000 per house/property,
- $4,000 per property assessment number (shedding damage)
- $2,000 per property assessment number (water tanks and pumps, fence and farm equipment damage)
Who it is for: Property owners who experienced infrastructure damage as a result of the fire to:
- house and/or contents
- shedding
- water tanks and pumps
- fencing
- farm equipment.
The property must be within the fire footprint.
Category 5 – Business
How much: $2,000 per property
Who it is for: Households who derive an income from the affected property such as primary producers and small businesses. Share farmers who derive an income from the affected property will be eligible for $2,000 per property.
Category 6 – Vehicles
How much: $400 per household
Who it is for: People who experienced damage to vehicles as a result of the fire.
Find out more: Phone 8553 4560 to speak to Melissa Grimes, Governance Administration Officer
Drought Relief Funding (St Vincent de Paul)
How much: $3000
Who it is for: Farmers, farm workers or farm suppliers/contractors impacted by the drought.
Find out more:
Back to Business farm support
What it is: Up to three free one-on-one sessions with a local farm management consultant
Who it is for: Red meat (sheep, goat, cattle) producers directly impacted by the bushfires
Find out more:
- Meat and Livestock Australia website
- Andrew Curtis, Livestock SA, ph 0419 035 459
Community Recovery Grants Program (Bendigo and Adelaide Bank)
How much: Up to $75,000
Who is it for: The grants are open to eligible charitable organisations for funding projects and programs from bushfire-affected communities in South Australia. This program will focus on the short term, community-led recovery of communities that were impacted by the bushfires of 2019-2020.
Applications for the first round of grants have now closed.
Find out more:
- For guidelines, FAQs and to apply, visit the Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Community Enterprise Foundation website
NAB Foundation Community Grants
How much: Up to $10,000
Who is it for: Charities, social enterprises or organisations with a charitable purpose can apply for a grant to support a project, program or initiative that helps communities prepare for natural disasters, support long-term recovery and build resilience to future disasters.
There are two rounds:
- Applications received from 23 November, 2020 to 31 March, 2021 will be assessed, and successful grantees will be notified in April 2021.
- Applications received from 1 April, 2021 to 30 July, 2021 will be assessed, and successful grantees will be notified in August 2021.
Find out more:
- To find out more about the full criteria and apply for a grant visit https://www.nab.com.au/about-us/social-impact/community/nab-foundation-and-grants
SA Healthy Towns Challenge
How much: Up to $50,000
Who it is for: Grants of up to $50,000 each will be provided to a minimum of five towns (or groups of towns) each year for four years (until 2021), across the six regional SA Local Health Networks
- To find out more about the full criteria and apply for a grant visit SA Healthy Towns Challenge.
Waiver of state government administration fees
The Government of South Australia is waiving certain fees and charges for people affected by the bushfires.
These include:
- Fees waived for replacement drivers licences and births, deaths and marriage certificates for those who lost them as a result of the fires
- Refund of unexpired registrations for vehicles destroyed by bushfire
- Applications are being accepted to waive registration of replacement motor vehicles.
Phone Service SA on 13 10 84 or go to a Service SA Customer Service Centre for more information.
Land Services SA
Land Services SA have a Bushfire Relief Program for eligible property owners, including
- register searches free of charge
- registration fee relief for transfers and other related dealings.
Visit the Land Services SA website for more information.
Local council
Some councils have other waivers and fee relief programs in place. Contact your local council for more information
Taxation
The Government of South Australia is providing tax relief measures for people affected by the bushfires.
These include:
- tax relief for the stamp duty payable on the purchase of replacement properties and motor vehicles
- relief for 2019-2020 and 2020-21 land tax liabilities
- a hold on the Emergency Services Levy debt collection.
Australian Tax Office (ATO) bushfire assistance
The ATO can provide a range of support options including:
- extra time to pay your debt or lodge tax forms such as activity statements
- help finding your lost tax file number (TFN) by using methods to verify your identity such as your date of birth, address and bank account details
- re-issuing income tax returns, activity statements and notices of assessment
- helping you re-construct tax records lost or damaged in the bushfire
- prioritising any refunds you are owed
- setting up a payment plan tailored to your circumstances including an interest-free period
- remitting penalties or interest charged during the time you have been affected by the bushfires
- giving you more time to meet SMSF lodgments and payment obligations
- ability to give you a refund when you lodge, which we’d normally use to reduce or pay down a debt.
To learn more about what support you may be eligible, phone the ATO Emergency Support Infoline on 1800 806 218 or visit the ATO website for bushfire information.
Tax Help Program
Tax Help is a network of ATO-trained and accredited community volunteers who provide a free and confidential service to help people complete their tax returns online using myTax.
Eligibility criteria apply. More information is available at the ATO Tax Help website.
UniSA Tax Help Clinic
The Tax clinic at UniSA is a friendly, student-run service providing free advice from UniSA taxation students under the supervision of experienced tax professionals.
If you are an Australian resident (for tax purposes), or a small business without a tax agent, they may be able to help you.
Tax implications around grants
For income tax implications related to receiving grants, please contact the ATO.
Banks assisting bushfire-affected customers
We are aware of the following banks offering assistance to their customers. Please contact your bank for more information.
If you have lost registered motor vehicles because of the fires, you can ask for a refund of some of your Registration and Third Party Insurance fees (PDF 130KB).
If you have lost a registered boat, you can ask for a refund of the unexpired registration fee (PDF 960KB). You need to state that the boat was destroyed in a recent fire. All administration/processing fees will be waived.
- Send forms to Service SA
- Email SSACOG@sa.gov.au
- Mail to GPO Box 1533, Adelaide SA 5001
- Present in person at any Service SA Customer Service Centre
Find out how to replace your documents. In major disasters some replacement fees may be waived.
Australian passports
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade may replace, free of charge, passports that have been lost or damaged in declared natural disasters. Visit the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website or phone the Australian Passport Information Service on 131 232.
Birth, death and marriage certificates
If you and your family have been affected by the 2019-20 bushfires you can access a priority service to get replacement certificates.
Replace birth, death and marriage certificates online or phone Consumer and Business Services (CBS) on 131 882 .
Certificates of title
A certificate of title is an official record of land ownership in South Australia.
Getting a copy of your certificate of title
Concession and health care cards
To replace concession and health care cards, including Medicare card, Seniors card and Pensioner concession card:
- phone 132 307
- visit the myGov website (if you are already registered)
- visit a service centre.
If you need your card urgently, a service centre can provide you with a temporary card.
Firearms licences and registration papers
Phone the SA Police Firearms Branch on 7322 3346 or email sapol.firearmsbranch@police.sa.gov.au.
Proof of age card
Apply for a proof of age card online.
Tenancy agreements
To obtain a copy of a tenancy agreement, contact your landlord or agent.
Seniors Card
Contact the Seniors Card Unit (free call 1800 819 961) or email seniorscard@sa.gov.au and a replacement card will be ordered for you. There is no charge for a replacement card.
When a new Seniors Card is issued, the old card will be cancelled. Any balance on your card will be automatically transferred to the new card.
Vehicle registration and licences
Phone or visit Service SA to replace a range of documents:
- phone 13 10 84 (Monday to Friday 8.00 am to 6.00 pm, excluding public holidays)
- visit a customer service centre
These documents can be replaced online:
- boat labels and certificates
- boat licence
- disability parking permit
- driver's licence, provisional licence or learner's permit
- motor vehicle number plates.
SafeWork SA permits, licences and registration
- phone 1300 365 255
- email licensing.safework@sa.gov.au
- visit level 4, 33 Richmond Road, Keswick SA 5035
- Licensing and authorisation - Safework SA