Recovery Services

Accessing recovery services

Access to services associated with recovery, including financial assistance grants and mental health first aid.

The Valuer-General has prepared a fact sheet to help affected homeowners understand how property valuations will be managed in the River Murray Flood event.

View River Murray Flood under 'Fact Sheets'.

Clean up assistance

Free clean-up support is continuing in 2024, including structural assessments and, where required, hazard reduction or demolition.

Registrations for the clean-up program closed on 13 October 2023. If you did not register for assistance but wish to do so, call Green Industries SA on 1800 418 491 from Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm, or Community Recovery Coordinator Alex Zimmermann on 0455 984 411 as soon as possible. Registrations will be considered on a case by case basis and accepted for exceptional circumstances only.

The free kerbside collection service concluded on Friday 24 November 2023. Kerbside collections began in February 2023, with more than 16,000 tonnes of waste removed from the region.

If you have a unique situation and were unable to place your flood-affected material on the kerbside prior to Friday 24 November, contact Alex Zimmermann on 0455 984 411 or alex.zimmermann@sa.gov.au to discuss your situation. These requests will be considered on a case by case basis and accepted for exceptional circumstances only.

More information is available on the Green Industries SA website.

Flood mud

Flood mud is the wet clay, soil and sand that settles on the ground after flood waters recede. It can't be put back into the river or other waterways but can be spread across land and property, as it is rich in nutrients.

More information and other options to dispose of flood mud are on the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) website.

Protecting Aboriginal heritage

Some of the most significant Aboriginal heritage sites in Australia are located along the River Murray.

If you discover something you believe might be an Aboriginal site, object or ancestral remains, do not touch or disturb them.

More information about what to do next is available on the Attorney-General's Department (AGD) website.

Electricity

There are 3 steps to gradually reconnect flood-affected regions to the main electricity network.

Step 1

SA Power Networks will check, repair and test the main electricity supply network (poles and wires).

Step 2

Once the network is stable, SA Power Networks will check that properties can be safely reconnected to the network.

Step 3

If your property hasn't been affected by flood water, or SA Power Networks has visited and confirmed it is safe, contact your energy retailer to ask about reconnecting your electricity supply.

If your property has been affected by flood water, or SA Power Networks hasn't visited, ask a licenced electrician to check your electrical installation. Once they confirm it is safe, they will give you an electronic certificate of compliance. You can then contact your energy retailer to ask about reconnecting your electricity supply.

For more information about reconnecting your electricity supply after flooding, visit SA Power Networks.

Find an electrician

For help finding an electrician who has registered to assist with flood recovery, please call one of the following industry association groups:

Stay updated

Register for SA Power Networks outage alerts to stay updated about the status of your electricity supply via SMS or email.

Gas

For information about the natural gas network and outages, visit Australian Gas Networks.

For information about the gas connection at your property, contact your energy retailer.

Water supply

If you have an urgent water supply issue and/or are a vulnerable person, contact the Community Recovery Coordinator on 0455 984 411 to discuss your individual needs.

For general information and updates about drinking water and waste water, visit SA Water. You can also register your details to receive notifications about any service interruptions.

For information on the insurance process, general advice and helpful tips, visit the Insurance Council of Australia website or view the ICA's online insurance virtual panel session.

Closure of River Murray Flood Recovery Centres

The Mannum Recovery Centre closed permanently on Thursday, 21 December 2023 at 4:30pm.

The Berri Recovery Centre closed permanently at 5:00pm on Wednesday, 21 February, 2024.

The Murray Bridge Recovery Centre closed permanently at 5:00pm on Thursday, 22 February 2024.

The Berri Recovery Centre opened in January 2023, while Recovery Centres opened in Mannum and Murray Bridge in February 2023, to help communities recover from the flood event.

The number of visitors to the Recovery Centres have significantly lessened over time, reducing the need for these facilities.

While the Recovery Centres are now closed , there are several community supports available to assist you in your recovery journey.

Help is available for a range of areas including community matters, health, legal issues and business support.

Available supports

Listed below are agencies that may be able to assist.

ac.care can provide emergency relief, crisis accommodation and financial counselling.

ac.care have offices in Berri and Murray Bridge.

Visit the ac.care website for more information.

The Salvation Army provide a range of services and ongoing support, including financial counselling.

Visit The Salvation Army website for more information.

Australian Red Cross work with the local community leaders and local agencies to build the capacity to recover from emergencies.

Visit the Australian Red Cross website for more information.

Murray Mallee Community Health Service

(08) 8535 6800

9:00am to 5:00pm Monday to Friday

www.countryhealthsa.sa.gov.au. 

Rural and Remote Mental Health Service

Operates 24/7 and can refer on to local mental health services.

13 14 65

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services – Murray Bridge

Provides mental health services to children and young people up to 18 years.

(08) 8531 3901

4/2 Sturt Reserve Road, Murray Bridge

Lifeline Australia

24/7 telephone crisis support service in Australia

13 11 14

Support for eligible impacted farmers and small business owners to develop and implement plans to recover from financial hardship.

1800 836 211

Visit the Rural Business Support website.

Assistance with planning and development applications

1800 752 664

PlanSA@sa.gov.au

Visit the Plan SA website.

Contact the Department of Primary Industries and Regions Recovery Hotline

1800 931 314

Visit the Department of Primary Industries and Regions website.

Call the State Relief and Recovery Information Line

Phone 1800 302 787