Register for clean-up support after the January 2026 bushfires

Registering for clean-up support

Free removal of eligible bushfire affected structures is now available. To register for clean up support:

Use the drop down below to check that you live in one of the council areas where clean up support is available.
Check that you meet all eligibility requirements below.
If you are in one of the council areas listed above and meet all eligibility requirements, fill out the Registration form
If you are unsure, register and we can help you check if you are eligible.

- Alpine Shire Council
- Ararat Rural City Council
- Benalla Rural City Council
- Campaspe Shire Council
- Colac Otway Shire Council
- Corangamite Shire Council
- East Gippsland Shire Council
- Golden Plains Shire Council
- Greater Bendigo City Council
- Horsham Rural City Council
- Lake Mountain Alpine Resort
- Macdeon Ranges Shire Council
- Mansfield Shire Council
- Midura Rural City Council
- Mitchell Shire Council
- Moira Shire Council
- Mount Alexander Shire Council
- Murrindindi Shire Council
- Pyrenees Shire Council
- Strathbogie Shire Council
- Towong Shire Council
- Wellington Shire Council
- Wodonga City Council
- Yarra Ranges Shire Council

Eligibility

You must meet all eligibility criteria.

If you aren’t sure, register. The team will help you understand if you are eligible.

Homes and residential properties

You may be eligible for free clean up support if you live on a property that:

is in an eligible council area
has structures that were damaged by the January 2026 bushfires
is uninsured or underinsured.

Businesses

You may be eligible for free clean up support if you operate a business from a property that:

is in an eligible council area
has an ABN
have structures damaged by the January bushfires
are uninsured or underinsured
you intend to re-establish the business on site

and:

On average across a full year, your workforce would be equal to 20 or fewer full-time employees. On average, they would collectively work less than 700 hours a week.
If you are a sole trader with no employees, you get more than half of your income from the business.

Employers
Your workforce can be made up of full-time and part-time employees. When you add them all up it should be equal to or less than 20 full-time employees.
For example, you may be eligible if:
- you have 20 full time employees
- you have 10 full time employees and 10 part time employees
- you have 18 full time employees and 4 part-time employees who each only work 12 hours a week
If you take an income from the business, you should include yourself.
To add up part-time employees
Add up the total hours per week of all your part-time employees.
For example:
If you have 3 part time employees and 1 employee works 25 hours a week, and the other 2 work 20 hours a week, the total would be 65 hours
Divide that number by 35 hours a week (a full-time equivalent).
Using the example above, you would divide 65 hours, by 35 and get 1.8 employees.
To add up seasonal employees
Some industries hire more workers during certain seasons. Take the average number of employees across the year.
For example, you may be eligible if you have 28 employees for 12 weeks but usually only have 15 full-time employees.
Sole traders
As a sole trader, you may be eligible if you get more than half of your income from the business.
This means that you don't have other work that you make more money from.
For example, you may be eligible if:
you get all your income from the business (and have no employees)
you make $15,000 a year from part-time work, but your business makes $50,000 a year.
If you work from your home, you may be eligible for free clean-up of homes. Other structures can be eligible even if your home isn’t damaged.
If you aren't sure register. The team will help you to work out if you are eligible.

Community assets

Community assets are social and cultural spaces, such as town halls and sports facilities.

Community assets might qualify for free clean up support if they:

are in an eligible council area
have structures damaged by the January bushfires
are uninsured or underinsured
offer community benefits or host community events
are open to the public (do not have restricted membership).

Uninsured and underinsured

You may be underinsured if you have insurance but do not have coverage for:

bushfire damage
demolition or waste removal
the cost to rebuild.

Get a copy of your policy and speak to us about your circumstances.

If you aren’t sure, register. The team will help you understand if you are eligible.

Register for clean-up

fill out the form below, or
call the Emergency Recovery Hotline on 1800 560 760.

Your first name(Required)

Your last name(Required)

Your email

I don't have a mobile phone

Your mobile phone number(Required)

Your street address(Required)

Your suburb(Required)

Your postcode(Required)

Do you own the property or are you renting?

Owner

Renter

Was your home damaged or destroyed?

Destroyed

Damaged

My home was not damaged or destroyed

Do you have insurance that would cover your repairs or rebuild?

Yes

No

I'm not sure

Would you like to speak to someone in a language other than English?

Yes

No

Collection notice(Required)

The Department of Justice and Community Safety (DJCS) is collecting your personal information to contact you about help for your recovery. DJCS works with other recovery providers to get you appropriate support.

We may share your information with:

Federal, state or local government organisations, to provide you with support services and programs
other recovery service providers, contracted to DJCS, so they can provide recovery services for you.

If you choose not to provide your personal details, we will not be able to contact you to provide support for your recovery.

If you have any questions about how your personal information will be handled or would like to gain access to your information, you can contact the DJCS Freedom of Information Unit on 03 8684 0063 or via a form on the DJCS Freedom of information website.

I have read and understand how Department of Justice and Community Safety stores information.

Important email

What happens after I register

A member of the team will call you. They will ask you questions to complete your registration. If you are eligible, they will book a site inspection.

A qualified contractor will visit your property to assess the site. They will make a plan to do any work that is eligible under the program. This plan could also include work to:

allow access to the site if needed
remove other hazards that could make it unsafe for the contractor.

If parts of your property are important to you, it is important that you let the contractor know early. They can consider this in their planning. Due to safety on site and the scope of the program, they may not be able to accommodate all requests.

If the assessment shows that the fires caused the damage and it's eligible for cleanup, you can decide whether to proceed with the work.

If you want to go ahead, you will need to agree to the scope of work in a timely manner, including making time to meet the contractor on site.

If you opt-in, eligible structures will be completely removed. This program does not include repair or rebuild.

If your home or business has been damaged

Only go onto your property if it is safe and emergency services say you can.

Watch out for dangers like:

asbestos
unstable trees and branches
fallen powerlines
damaged structures like chimneys
gas bottles
petrol and chemicals
damaged septic tanks which could collapse
waste water systems.

Homes built before 1990 could have asbestos. If asbestos is broken or burnt, tiny fibres release into the air. Breathing these fibres can cause illnesses, including lung damage and cancer. Don’t put yourself at risk.

Always check tradespeople's ID to make sure they're legitimate.

Re-establishment assistance

Emergency re-establishment assistance is designed to assist people and families to re-establish a principal place of residence. A principal place of residence is the primary home that you live in.

Re-establishment assistance is for people who:

do not have much money to fix their home damaged by a major emergency
do not have building or contents insurance
cannot return home because it is damaged or destroyed or cannot get to their home for more than 7 days because of a major emergency AND
haven’t already had costs covered by compensation, donations, or other charity help.

To apply for a payment:

Call the Emergency Recovery Hotline on 1800 560 760 and press 4 to apply for a re-establishment assistance payment. For translating and interpreting support press 9 or call TIS on 131 450.

Or visit an Emergency Relief Centre or a Recovery Hub.

If you can, have some ID ready, like:

driver licence
Medicare card
letter or utility bill showing your address.

For re-establishment assistance, you will also need to show proof of:

income, for example, a payslip or Centrelink payment summary
insurance status, for example, a document from your insurance company
impact on your home, for example, photos of damages or quotes for repairs.

If your home is insured

If your home is adequately insured, you are not eligible for free demolition. You should contact your insurance provider.

You can get free advice before you accept a settlement offer from your insurer. Talk to a financial counsellor through the National Debt Helpline on 1800 007 007.

Financial Rights Legal Centre can provide legal assistance in dealing with insurers. They have factsheets and sample letters you can use.

Disaster Legal Help Victoria can also help answer your legal questions.

Check with your insurance before making any repairs. Take photos and make a list of everything that is damaged.

We have more information about what to expect and who can support you as you rebuild, repair or sell your home after a bushfire.

What you might be feeling

Going home after a bushfire can be stressful. It’s normal to feel numb, helpless, lonely or angry.

Red Cross has information about what you and your family might be feeling when you return.

Stress from disaster can leave you physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted. Check in with friends, family and neighbours for support.

Other help that is available

You can get help with what you need right now. Relief information is available on the VicEmergency website or call 1800 226 226.

Find more recovery support by using the navigation below:

January 2026 Victorian bushfires

Relief and recovery support for people and communities affected by the Victorian fires that started on 7 January 2026.

Recovery services, wellbeing and support

Find out more about the support, advice and counselling available as you and your family recover from storms, bushfires or floods.