Natural disaster legal help

We can help if you’ve been affected by a bushfire, cyclone, storm, flood or other severe weather or natural disaster.

Call our natural disaster legal help line on 1300 527 700 to get help with issues you may face when your property has been damaged by a natural disaster or severe weather.

We also have factsheets and guides available giving you information about making an insurance claim after a natural disaster or severe weather.

Law for all podcast series

Episode 3: Dealing with insurance and damage when a natural disaster hits

In this episode, Legal Aid Queensland's consumer advocate and Principal Lawyer Paul Homes discusses what to do if your home or property has been damaged, how to avoid hustlers, and how to go about dealing with the insurance side of clean-up.

View the transcript

Access all our Law for all podcasts

Cyclones, floods and storms

Our When disaster strikes—cyclones, storms and floods guide helps Queenslanders with their insurance claims after a storm, cyclone or flood. It gives information on home building and contents insurance policies. It doesn’t give information on other types of insurance such as motor vehicle insurance policies.

Please note: this publication is only available online.

Legal information factsheets

Note: Some of these publications are currently being updated.

If you need advice about your insurance claim, call our natural disaster legal help line on 1300 527 700.

Insurance

• Need help getting an insurance claim paid?
• My car has been damaged by a flood or cyclone — what do I need to know?^{(PDF, 182KB)}
• • Sample letters^(PDF, 65KB)
• Bushfires and insurance claims (Please note: this publication is only available online).

Property (including rentals and tenancy)

• Are you a tenant affected by the floods?^{(PDF, 162KB)}
• Property contracts^{(PDF, 303KB)}
• Commercial and retail leases^{(PDF, 279KB)}

Services and utilities

• Has your electricity, gas, or water supply, or your telephone or internet service been affected by the floods?^{(PDF, 149KB)}

Employment

• Employment issues^{(PDF, 245KB)}

Debt and financial problems

• Having trouble paying your debts?^{(PDF, 186KB)}
  • sample letters^(PDF, 67KB)
• Centrelink payments for people affected by the flood^{(PDF, 360KB)}
• Consumer protection issues^{(PDF, 145KB)}

Businesses

• Small business^{(PDF, 214KB)}

Who else can help?

• Grants and support available for flood-affected residents across South-East Queensland—Community Door
• Your rights in the aftermath of a natural disaster — information provided by Caxton Legal Centre Inc
• Tenancy-related matters—the RTA's natural disasters webpage has information for rental properties impacted by flooding
• Property managers and agents can download the REIQ's natural disaster toolkit or contact 1300 697 347 to access a free legal advisory service
• Body corporates—contact the BCCM Information and Community Education Unit on 1800 060 119
• Business Council of Australia—BizRebuild—is offering vouchers ^{(PDF, 179KB)}(PDF, 179KB) to help small businesses affected by the March 2022 storms and floods
• Hardship assistance from banks—visit the Australian Bankers Association website at ausbanking.org.au/doingittough
• Complaints about insurance claims are handled by the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (formerly the Financial Ombudsman Service). Please call 1800 931 678 or visit www.afca.org.au