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Disaster recovery

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Access personal support services after a disaster. Find ways to get involved in disaster recovery in your community.

Storm damage to established trees on Council land at Highgate Hill. Council officer at location logging damage on a tablet PC.

Disaster recovery support

Floods, bushfires and severe weather can have a devastating impact on households, communities and businesses in Brisbane. 

After a disaster, we work with emergency services, businesses and communities to get the city back on its feet. Together we:

  • clean up and clear debris
  • rebuild damaged buildings and infrastructure
  • restore local habitat
  • get the economy back on track
  • support the emotional, social and physical wellbeing of people affected. 

You don’t have to recover from a disaster alone. There is support you can turn to as you take disaster recovery steps.

You can also be part of Brisbane’s recovery effort by volunteering your time or donating to help communities in need.

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Check your risk

Prepare for an emergency

Respond to an emergency

Emergency dashboard

Support following ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred

Updates to Council services
March 2025 severe weather event recovery
March 2025 weather event review

Financial assistance

Following the recent severe weather event, community organisations may require immediate support to make their facilities safe, clean-up, conduct minor repairs and return to operations.

To support this relief phase of disaster recovery, Council will provide a one-off $7,500 payment to not-for-profit community organisations who have been impacted.

To be eligible for the Community Clean-Up Payment, not-for-profit community organisations must:

  1. Be operating from or located within a Brisbane City Council leased or licensed community facility;
  2. Have been impacted by the recent severe weather event;
  3. Have completed the ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred damage survey.

The ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred damage survey has been sent to Council’s community lessees on 10 March 2025.

To be considered for the $7,500 Community Clean-Up Payment, complete the survey when you have assessed your organisations site.

Ensure to record photographs of weather damage.

Once assessed, approved organisations will be contacted directly regarding payment.

For more information, you can contact Council’s Community Facilities Operations Team by phoning 07 3403 8888 or emailing Council.

Personal hardship financial assistance is available for people in the Brisbane Local Government Area impacted by ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred.

Learn more on the Queensland Government website.

Community support

For individuals or businesses offering their services to assist with ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, email Council with the following information: 

  • contact details including: 
    • name
    • company name
    • mobile number
    • email address
    • address
    • ABN (if available)
    • website (if available).
  • a brief summary of what services are being offered.

Council officers will contact you if your services are required and include you on the list of potential suppliers for the duration of the recovery.

Volunteer after a disaster

Help make a difference to the community’s recovery from natural disasters by volunteering.

Volunteers lend their time and expertise to help speed up the recovery process. 

Volunteering Queensland coordinates registration for volunteer clean-ups in communities affected by floods and other emergencies.

You can register with Volunteering Queensland as:

  • an individual
  • an organisation
  • a volunteer group.

Make a donation

Donations provide much-needed relief to people recovering from a disaster.

Local charities and disaster appeals use donations to: 

  • distribute emergency supplies, including food and medical supplies
  • provide clothing, bedding and furniture to impacted households 
  • fund repairs and rebuilding of infrastructure.

 Charities and groups you can donate to include:

Recovery for businesses

Floods, bushfires and severe storms can have a serious impact on your business finances and property.

Damage from a disaster can force you to close, relocate or need specialist advice during recovery. It's also important for you to check in with your suppliers or customers as impacts to their business could affect you too.

information outline

If you were recently impacted ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, you can complete the Disaster Impact Survey to help the Queensland Government understand the assistance businesses need after a disaster.

Cleaning up and clearing the mess caused by a natural disaster can take time.

Before returning to your business premises, consider whether your actions could impact your:

  • insurance
  • personal safety
  • electrical and power safety
  • gas safety
  • asbestos exposure
  • food safety.

Download the clean-up considerations and safety tips fact sheet for business owners.

Dispose of your waste and debris at Council’s resource recovery centres. They accept:

General waste

Hazardous waste

Green waste

Recyclable items

Depending on the impact of the disaster, you may need specific types of support or business advice.

This includes:

  • financial and tax assistance
  • legal aid
  • Australian and Queensland Government support
  • non-government support.

For information on the support you can access, download the Flood support for small businesses fact sheet.

For more resources to help you rebuild and recover after a disaster, visit Business Queensland.

Locate missing pets or animals

To help reunite pets and their owners, we keep a register of lost and found animals in Brisbane. 

If your family pet is missing after a disaster, you can:

If you find a lost animal, there are steps you can take to help reunite the animal with its owner.

  1. Check for any identification on the pet (e.g. name tag, Council registration tag, RSPCA VIP tag).
  2. Contact the person or organisation on the tag.
  3. Ask your neighbours if they're missing any pets or know who the animal belongs to.
  4. Report a found pet to Council, the RSPCA or your local vet.
mdi information outline

Note

You can report a lost or found pet by calling Council on 07 3403 8888.

Frequently asked questions

To prepare for a disaster:

  1. Check your risk.
  2. Make sure you prepare before a natural disaster strikes.
  3. Find support to help you respond to an emergency.  

Recovery from natural disasters can take days or years, depending on the impact to your home or business. 

To reduce the impact on your property, it’s important to prepare for an emergency.

Contact your insurer to discuss what your policy covers. They will advise on what to do next.

Keep records and photos of any damage to your property or contents. 

The Insurance Council of Australia has more information on what to do during and after a natural disaster.

Council encourages you to properly dispose of sandbags once severe weather has passed. 

Do not empty or place full sandbags in your general waste bin. Empty sandbags can be placed in general waste bins. 

Sandbags that have been in contact with floodwater can be taken to our resource recovery centres.

Sandbags soiled with contaminants such as oil or sewage can only be dropped off at Council’s resource recovery centres in Willawong and Nudgee. Tell the staff at the gate that you have contaminated sandbags, so they can be disposed of safely.

Always get a professional to safely remove asbestos from your home. Asbestos fibres are a dangerous health hazard. 

For more information on asbestos safety, visit Queensland Government.