Financial assistance after a bushfire

Victorian bushfires, January 2026 - financial support

Primary Producer Bushfire Recovery Grants

Grants of up to $75,000 are available to eligible primary producers, to help cover the costs of clean-up and reinstating their enterprises.

Funding can be used for essential recovery activities such as disposing of stock, rebuilding, or replacing damaged on-farm infrastructure and restoring operations.

Grants are open until 4pm on 21 October 2026. For information on eligibility and how to apply, visit Rural Finance.

Primary Producers Bushfire Recovery Concessional Loans

Loans of up to $250,000 are available for producers who have suffered significant damage to assets, while loans of up to $100,000 will support those experiencing a major loss of income.

This assistance will further help cover essential costs such as repairing or replacing damaged equipment, rebuilding infrastructure, purchasing livestock and meeting working capital expenses like wages, rent, and fodder.

Applications are open until 4pm on 21 October 2026. For information on eligibility and how to apply, visit Rural Finance or call 1800 260 425.

Australian Government disaster payments

There are lump sum payments and short-term allowances to help you from the Australian Government.

Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment

The Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment (AGDRP) is a one-off, non-means tested lump sum payment. It’s available if you’ve had major damage to your home or major assets that you own at your home. It can also help if you were seriously injured or your immediate family member has died or is missing. The payment is $1,000 for eligible adults and $400 for eligible children.

Applications close for the AGDRP on 5 August 2026 for people in eligible Local Government Areas.

Disaster Recovery Allowance

The Disaster Recovery Allowance is an allowance for up to 13 weeks to help if you have lost income as a direct result of the January 2026 Victorian Bushfires.

Applications close for the DRA on 21 July 2026 for people in eligible Local Government Areas.

Victorian Emergency Relief Recovery Foundation payment

A $1,000 payment is available if bushfires in Victoria significantly damaged or destroyed your home during the 2025-26 summer.

You can apply if:

• the place you were living in was significantly damaged or destroyed and has been categorised as uninhabitable
• the damage was caused by a bushfire in Victoria during the 2025-26 summer.

Primary producers can apply if the place they trade from is also their main place of residence.

For more information and to apply for the payment, visit Victorian Emergency Relief and Recovery Foundation.

Clean-up program

Clean-up support is available for uninsured and underinsured residential homes and structures such as sheds or garages.

It is also available for businesses if uninsured and underinsured structures have been damaged or destroyed by the January 2026 Victorian bushfires.

Registrations are now open. Call the Emergency Recovery Hotline on 1800 560 760 or visit the Victorian Government’s clean-up support page.

Emergency Recovery Support Program

This program helps people affected by the bushfires navigate and access the government support programs and services they need. It can also help with things like insurance and legal questions, finding local services and connecting people to essential health and wellbeing support.

Dedicated recovery support workers will also be available for people who need extra help navigating their recovery.

The Emergency Recovery Support Program is available by calling the Emergency Recovery Hotline on 1800 560 760.

Business Recovery Advisory Service

Advisors will deliver free, confidential one-on-one support to business owners, tailored to their circumstances and supporting their long-term recovery.

The Small Business Financial Counselling service provides free and confidential financial counselling to businesses who are in financial risk or at risk of it due to the bushfires.

To be eligible, your business must have been impacted or located within one of the local government areas affected by the summer 2026 Victorian bushfires (AGRN 1242).

The program closes on 31 October 2026.

More information is available at Business Victoria or by calling 13 22 15.

Recovery Water Tank Rebates

Eligible households that are not connected to mains water supply will receive a rebate of up to $1,500 for cleaning and decontaminating rainwater tanks, roofs, and gutters that are impacted by fires.

Residents who have already paid for cleaning are also eligible for reimbursement.

For more information visit Recovery Water Tank Cleaning Rebates.

Prolonged Power Outage Payments

Between 7-10 January, extreme weather and bushfires resulted in power outages across Victoria. Subject to eligibility criteria, the Prolonged Power Outage Payment provided:

• $2,380 per week for households for up to three weeks depending on the length of time the household was without power
• $3,088 per week for small businesses for up to three weeks depending on the length of time the business was without power.

Applications for this program closed on Tuesday 31 March.

For more information visit Energy outages.

Personal Hardship Assistance Program

If a major emergency happens where you live, like a bushfire, the Victorian Government may give you money to help you. You do not need to pay this money back.

Important note

Applications for emergency relief payments under the Personal Hardship Assistance Program for the January 2026 bushfires closed from 5.00pm on Friday 27 February 2026.

Applications will still be open for exceptional circumstances.

Victorians impacted by the January 2026 bushfires can continue to access Emergency Recovery Support from this event by calling the Emergency Recovery hotline on 1800 560 760.