Larralea Fire Recovery 2026

Emergency Fodder Support Program  

Enacted to coordinate the donation of fodder and delivery to bushfire impacted farmers. This Program is a collaboration between the Victorian Government and the Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) and key information can be found in this link: 

www.vff.org.au/vff-emergency-fodder-program/ 

From this website farmers can register to receive or donate fodder, and transporters can register with the VFF to be eligible for a freight rebate by government. (This is only available for transporters directly engaged by the VFF Emergency Fodder Program) 

How can you assist: Transporters must register with the VFF to be eligible for a freight rebate by government. This is only available for transporters directly engaged by the VFF emergency fodder program. A consignment notice issued by the VFF is required.  

Donate to the VFF Disaster Relief fund to support the Victorian farming community.  Donate by contacting VFF on 1300 882 833 or by email vff@vff.org.au 

Help for farmers  

Agriculture Victoria has advice for farmers who have experienced loss of stock or farming assets.  

Fencing

Eligible property owners may get support to repair fencing if: 

• firefighting or disaster response teams brought about the damage, or 
• the fence is on the boundary of National Parks, State Parks or State Forests. 

To find out if your damage is eligible for support, you can contact DEECA on 136 186. In most cases, fences not on the boundary of parks or those covered by insurance won’t qualify for support.

Rehabilitation of Fire Breaks

If you have been impacted by the Larralea fire you may be eligible for essential water replacement, repair of damaged fences caused during fire suppression, and fire control line reinstatement.

Email iccgee.ops@icc.vic.gov.au and CFA staff will manage and action requests.

Assessing cattle after a bushfire 

You can find Information on Agriculture Victoria webpage on assessing cattle after a bushfire

https://agriculture.vic.gov.au/farm-management/emergency-management/bushfires/what-to-do-after-a-bushfire/assessing-cattle-after-a-bushfire 

Safe disposal of dead stock

A bushfire, flood or drought can result in animal carcasses requiring disposal.

Guidance is provided in the Disposing of carcasses after bushfire, flood or drought section of Agriculture Victoria’s website. 

General information on-farm biosecurity and animal disease is available on the Agriculture Victoria website. 

Protecting survey marks  

Identifying survey marks and ensuring they are protected will support surveying property boundaries and infrastructure reconstruction.  

Agriculture Victoria

What to do after a bushfire information can be found on Agriculture Victoria webpage https://agriculture.vic.gov.au/farm-management/emergency-management/bushfires/what-to-do-after-a-bushfire 

Information you will find includes:  

• Agisting livestock affected by a bushfire 
• Assessing cattle after a bushfire 
• Assessing sheep after a bushfire 
• Checking livestock, pets and animals 
• Information on health and wellbeing 
• Disposing of carcasses after a bushfire 
• Finance and insurance 
• Fire recovery checklist 
• Pasture recovery after a fire 
• Recover assets and check hazards 
• Recovery after bushfire for you and others – immediate coming days 
• Recovery after emergency – information for farmers 
• Stock water impacted by bushfire ash and debris  

On-farm bushfire recovery resources can be found on Agriculture Victoria webpage: https://agriculture.vic.gov.au/farm-management/emergency-management/bushfires/bushfire-factsheets-and-resources

• Support programs 
•  Recovery after an emergency 
•  Managing livestock  
•  Water  
•  Feeding and agistment of livestock  
•  Horses and pets 
•  Horticulture 
•  Managing your property fencing  
•  Pasture  
•  Weeds  
•  Shelter 
•  Plans and manuals  

Emergency Pet advice 

Your pets are your responsibility. Failing to plan ahead for your pets' safety during an emergency puts everyone's lives at risk. 

Information on animal welfare before and after an emergency. For more information visit Animal Welfare Victoria.

 After the emergency :

Horses and livestock in emergencies.  

Horses and livestock in emergencies | Emergency animal welfare | Emergency management | Farm management | Agriculture Victoria 

If re-entering burned areas, care must be taken to assess whether a recently burnt area is suitable for horses. There may be hot spots that could flare up without warning or a contaminated water supply. And partially burned structures and trees may be unstable and suddenly fall over. 

Make sure the fencing is secure and the ground area is no longer warm. Check for ash pit areas where root systems have burned underground, downed power lines and dangerous debris before turning horses out into a burned paddock. 

Assessing horses after bushfires | Health and welfare | Horses | Livestock and animals | Agriculture Victoria

Injured native animals  

If you find an injured native animal you can:  

Waste Skips

General waste skips and metal skips can be provided to fire-affected properties at no cost to assist with clean up.

Contact Corangamite Shire Council on 5593 7100 to request a skip.

Safe disposal of dead stock

A bushfire, flood or drought can result in animal carcasses requiring disposal.

Guidance is provided in the Disposing of carcasses after bushfire, flood or drought section of Agriculture Victoria’s website. 

General information on-farm biosecurity and animal disease is available on the Agriculture Victoria website. 

Drinking water tanks

Tanks might have been contaminated by debris and ash. Take steps to ensure you have safe water.

• Immediately disconnect your downpipe as soon as possible to avoid windblown ash, debris, fire retardants or water from water-bombing, entering if your tank and contaminating your drinking water.
• If you suspect that your water tank is contaminated or the water tastes, looks or smells unusual:

• Do not drink, use in food preparation, brushing teeth or give to animals.
• Contact Council if you need assistance to flush your tanks or to have your tanks professionally cleaned. Council can arrange tanks to be cleaned by a professional contractor at no cost in some circumstances- talk with Council to discuss your needs.

If you need to have water tanks refilled because they were contaminated or water was used for firefighting, Council can arrange for the tank to be refilled with drinking water at no cost.

Resources on managing drinking water during bushfires is on the Better Health Victoria website.

Managing and treating dams

Farmers in fire-affected areas are encouraged to monitor their dams and remove floating debris as soon as possible. They should also consider installing sediment traps upstream of bigger dams.

Following fires, many dams became unusable due to pollution from decomposing organic matter or after being filled with soil, sand, and gravel. Little can be done in the short term to remove the heavier materials, but quickly removing floating materials can be highly effective in maintaining water quality.

Typically, these floating materials consist of ash, charcoal, straw, grass, leaves, and manure which can cause issues for the water supply if not quickly removed.

Learn more via Agriculture Victoria.

Dam clean-up support

Glenelg Hopkins CMA have works crews that can install sediment control measures to protect stock water points and waterways, as well as assist with clean-up and fence repairs.

Contact 5571 2526 or email ghcma@ghcma.vic.gov.au

Stock water

If water tanks or dams have been used by emergency services for firefighting, Council can arrange for water delivery at no cost through DEECA’s Replacement of Essential Water program. Please contact Council to arrange.

Information on stock water in bushfire-affected areas can be found here.

Replacement of Water Infrastructure

If you are without drinking water or stock water due to loss of tanks, pipes, troughs and pumps and you’re having trouble accessing tank supplies or plumbers, Council has a list of tank suppliers and plumbers who may be able to assist you.

Council contact:
Corangamite Shire Council: 5593 7100

Victorian Government Relief Payments

Emergency Relief Payments

Emergency relief payments are available for eligible people affected by the January 2026 bushfires.

You may be eligible if you have unmet immediate relief needs and: 

• your principal place of residence is damaged or destroyed by the January 2026 bushfires, and you can’t live in it, or 
• your principal place of residence was in an evacuation warning area, and you evacuated your property.

Click here for further information on relief payments.

Closes 27 July.

To apply for a payment: 

The Department of Families, Fairness and Housing can help you apply for this payment.

• Call the VicEmergency Hotline 1800 226 226 (Press 0, then 1 to talk to someone)  
• Visit an Emergency Relief Centre. 

Have personal identification (ID) with you if you can. This could be a: 

• driver licence 
• Medicare card 
• letter or bill with your name and home address. 

Need an interpreter? Call the VicEmergency hotline on 1800 226 226. Press 9 for an interpreter. 

Emergency Re-establishment Assistance

Offers assistance to re-establish a principal place of residence.

For people with limited means, no insurance, home damaged or destroyed, who cannot return home or access home for more than 7 days.

To apply, contact the Emergency Recovery Hotline 1800 560 760, and press 4. Closed 27 July.

Click here for more details.

Australian Federal Government Relief

Disaster Recovery Payment

The Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment is a one off, non-means tested lump sum payment. 

It offers a payment of $1000 for eligible adults and $400 for eligible children who’ve been adversely affected by a major disaster either in Australia or overseas. This includes residents of the Larralea area impacted by fire.

More information is available on the Services Australia website. 

You may be eligible for this payment if you or an eligible child you care for were directly affected in one or more of the following ways: 

Major damage to your principal place of residence includes any of the following: 

Services Australia Disaster Recovery Allowance

Services Australia has a short-term allowance to help people directly affected by this disaster.

People can be eligible for up to 13 weeks of allowance if they have lost income as a direct result of the Victorian Bushfires in January 2026.

Information about the areas declared for payments and eligibility information is on the Services Australia website.

Other Financial Supports

Primary Producer Grants

For eligible primary producers. Grants up to $75,000 for clean-up and reinstatement

Administered by Rural Finance. Rural Financial Counselling Services can also assist with applications.

Closes 21 October.

Click here for more details.

Rural Finance Concessional Loans

For eligible primary producers. Loans up to $250,000, and up to $100,000 for major income loss.

Administered by Rural Finance. Rural Financial Counselling Services can also assist with applications.

Closes 31 December.

Click here for more details.

Victorian Farmers Federation Disaster Relief Fund

For Eligible primary producers. Immediate payment of up to $1,000

Apply via the VFF here.

Click here for more information.

Prolonged Power Assistance Payment, residential

For a principal place of residence without power at least 7 days in a 2-week period.

Residential- Payment up to $2,380 per week up to 3 weeks.
Business- up to $3,088 per week up to 3 weeks.

Eligible customers will be contacted by Powercor via SMS, email or phone and provided with a link to a dedicated page on the Powercor website.

If you believe you are eligible but have not received an SMS and link, please contact Powercor on 13 22 06.

Closes 31 March.

NAB Disaster Relief Grants

For eligible NAB Customers. Provides $1,000 grants and additional financial relief.

Apply via NAB or contact:

Consumer: 1300 308 132 (8am-8pm, Mon-Fri & 9am-1pm Sat AEST/AEDT) Business: 1300 769 650 (8am-5pm, Mon-Fri AEST/AEDT)

Salvation Army Emergency Relief Payment

For people impacted by disasters. (All encompassing, including international events)

$1,000 per adult $600 per child for impacted people

Apply via the Salvation Army

Must apply within 6 months from the event.

Emergency Recovery Support Program 

Emergency recovery support is available for people directly impacted by the January 2026 fires. If this emergency has impacted you, it can be hard to know what to do next. A range of support is available, based on you or your family’s needs. 

Recovery support officers can guide you on your journey. Emergency recovery support can be as simple as advice on what services are available or connecting you with programs that can help you. 

Emergency recovery support can help with things like: 

If you need extra support, you may get help from a dedicated recovery support worker. They will work with you to find and access services you need. If you were impacted by another emergency unrelated to the January 2026 fires, contact your local council to find supports in your area. 

For more information, visit www.vic.gov.au/Recovery-services-wellbeing-and-support 

Rural Financial Counselling Services

Free and independent financial information, options, decision-making support and referral services.

For primary producers and small rural businesses experiencing, or at risk of, financial hardship.

They are available at wswrcs.com.au or 1300 735 578.

Financial disputes

Dispute resolution for the financial services industry.  Services include: 

Call 1800 931 678 Monday to Friday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm 

Banks  

Banks and other financial institutions provide support to customers impacted by disasters by offering a range of adjustments to services, hardship support and in some instances, grants. 

Ask your bank what support they have available. 

Good Shepherd No Interest Loans 

Good Shepard have available for low-income earners or people who have experienced family or domestic violence, or health care card or pension card holders. Clients need to show they can repay the loan. 

Available loans: 

https://goodshep.org.au/services/nils/ 

National Debt Helpline  

The National Debt Helpline provides financial counselling and advice on managing debt. 

Tools include: 

Call 1800 007 007  

Look Over The Farm Gate Community Grants

Funding is available to support eligible community organisations and events under Round 2 of the Look Over the Farm Gate Community Grants Program.

Fire-affected communities can apply for up to $5000 to run events or activities which promote social connection and support mental wellbeing during recovery.

Visit the Look Over the Farm Gate webpage for ideas and practical suggestions for farmer-focused wellbeing events, and guidelines on how to make an event a great success with lasting benefits.

The application process is straightforward and the team at the National Centre for Farmer Health are available to assist applicants with the design of their proposed events.

Monetary donations are the most effective way to help our impacted communities.

If you see requests for donations, please check it is from a genuine/reputable request before donating.

YOU CAN MAKE DONATIONS TO:

Victorian Bushfire Appeal
www.vic.gov.au/2026-Victorian-Bushfire-Appeal
or call 1800 837 733
These donations will cover immediate and longer-term assistance, and programs identified by communities as priorities for their area. 100 per cent of donations will go to fire affected communities, and the Government is covering all the administrative costs.

BlazeAid
 blazeaid.com.au
BlazeAid is volunteer-based organisation that works with families and individuals in rural Australia after natural disasters such as fires, cyclones, droughts and floods. 

BlazeAid
BlazeAid is setting up recovery camps all over Victoria, including Skipton, and need volunteers to support their activities.

The Skipton camp opened Monday 19 January at Skipton Golf Club. Volunteers are assisting with farm fencing on impacted properties.

Volunteers must register online at blazeaid.com.au/skipton

Volunteer register
Council is maintaining a volunteer register for those who call in to offer help. If you would like to put your name down, please contact us on 5593 7100.

We know that this can be a stressful time, and help is available to everyone. We encourage anyone to reach out to support services.

Rural Aid

Free, confidential counselling to farmers and their family. Go online at ruralaid.org.au or phone 1300 175 594.

The National Centre for Farmer Health

Supports available on 1300 375 330 or online at farmerhealth.org.au

Family violence

 There is a link between disasters and an increase in family violence. It can happen to anyone. 1800RESPECT is available for free to support people impacted by family violence. To talk to someone, call 1800 737 732 , text something like 'hello' to 0458 737 732, or chat online at 1800respect.org.au.  

13YARN 

13Yarn is the first national crisis support line for mob who are feeling overwhelmed or having difficult coping.  They offer a confidential one-on-one yarning opportunity with a lifeline-trained Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Crisis supporter who can provide crisis support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Call 139 276.

Australian Psychological Society 

Australian Psychological Society referral service provides online, email and phone service to people seeking the advice and assistance of a qualified and suitable Australian Psychological Society (APS) psychologist in private practice.  Call 1800 333 497 

Beyond Blue  

Beyond Blue has an information line that offers expert information on: 

Call 1300 224 636 or chat to a counsellor online. 

Young People 

Kids Helpline offers free 24/7 counselling for youth (ages 5–25). They can talk about anything big or small, serious, or silly, easy, or complicated, long or short, bad or good, in the past, future or now. 

Headspace

Help when young people are feeling stressed or overwhelmed (ages 12–25). 

Mental Health Services

1800 808 284

Lifeline

13 11 14

Mensline

1300 789 978

Ballarat Community Health

Head to Health: 1800 595 212

Step Thru Care: 5338 4500

South West Healthcare

Mental Health and Wellbeing Services 24 hours a day, seven days a week on 1800 808 284.

Stress

Stress because of a disaster can cause physical, mental and emotional exhaustion. There is practical information and advice for:  

With the recent bushfires, it is understandable if you are feeling concerned and experiencing a mix of strong emotions or physical reactions right now. 

For those who have faced bushfires before, this might be a particularly challenging time that is stirring up memories and feelings of sadness, fear, and grief. 

It’s important to remember that recovery is a personal journey, and everyone experiences things differently. For some people, recovery is ongoing. 

Experiencing these emotions is a normal response to such events, but these concerns may lead to other issues if they are not managed. 

If you find yourself experiencing strong emotions, talking about your worries and feelings as well as remaining connected to others can make them more manageable. 

It is important to identify what actions can be taken to address the source of your concerns. Seeking help is a sign of strength and often the first step in recovery. 

Let people know you are safe  

Let friends, family and emergency services know you are safe with Red Cross Register.Find.Reunite. You can do this if you left your home, or if you are staying.  

You can register at:  

Heat  

Extreme heat can affect anybody.  

Hot cars kill. Never leave kids, adults or pets in cars. The temperature inside a parked car can double within minutes.  

Look out for people who might be more affected by the heat. Like people over the age of 65 years, young children or people with certain medical conditions.  

Ensure pets have access to cool, shady and well-ventilated areas and provide plenty of cool, clean water.  

Air Quality 

You will see or smell smoke in parts of Victoria. The smoke is a result of a multiple bushfires and grassfires burning across various parts of the state. 

Anyone having trouble breathing or tightness in the chest should seek urgent medical assistance and call Triple Zero (000). 

Everyone should minimise the time spent in smoky conditions whenever practical to do so. Anyone vulnerable to smoke should limit time outdoors. When indoors, close windows and doors. 

If you or anyone in your care is worried about symptoms, seek medical advice or call Nurse on Call on 1300 60 60 24. 

Learn about how smoke affects air quality and what you can do to manage your health in smoky conditions at Smoke | epa.vic.gov.au

Travel 

Accidents are more frequent during stress. Be extra aware of how you and other people are driving. Slow down. 

Look out for hazards like damaged trees and roads, fallen power lines, exposed wires or broken gas pipes. 

Check road closures before you travel via the VicTraffic website. 

Read safety tips for returning home from the Better Health Channel. 

Power outages  

Power outage information is available on Powercor's website at powercor.com.au/power-outages-and-emergencies/live-outage-map/

The most important thing to do in a power outage is to stay safe.  

• Make sure appliances are turned off 

• Keep clear of fallen powerlines and keep others away  

• Be careful with temporary generators 

If there has been significant damage to your property, ensure a licensed electrician checks it is safe to turn your power back on.  

Find other tips for staying safe on the Energy Victoria website. 

Staying cool in a power outage 

To stay cool during a power outage: 

• wear loose fitting clothing  
• stay hydrated 
• take a cool shower 
• keep skin wet using a spray bottle or damp sponge 

Where possible, keep doors, windows and curtains closed to keep cool air in and hot air out.  

If you can’t keep cool at home, think about where you can go to cool down like public pools, or air-conditioned buildings.

Corangamite Shire Business Support

Our Economy and Tourism team are reaching out to business and industry.

We also encourage business owners to make contact with our Economy and Tourism team, who can provide support. We are here to help, please contact us on 5593 7100 or email ecodev@corangamite.vic.gov.au

Disaster resilience resources

Tailored resources and information to help you plan, respond and recover in the event of an emergency.

business.vic.gov.au/businessinformation/disaster-resilience

Business Recovery Fact sheet 

Disaster Resilience for Business Toolkit

Framework to assess, prepare and recover effectively from disasters.

business.vic.gov.au/resiliencetoolkit

Small Business Bus

The Small Business Bus provides a concierge service and expert advisers (virtual and face to face) to support businesses with general assistance, business planning and referrals to other services and resources.

business.vic.gov.au/grants-andprograms/small-business-bus

Workplace Wellbeing Hub

Practical resources for managing stress and building resilience all in one place.

business.vic.gov.au/wellbeing

Small Business Debt Helpline

Financial counsellors for assistance and referral for ongoing support.

1800 413 828

sbdh.org.au

Insurance Council of Australia

Advice on when to contact your insurance company and how to document damage.

insurancecouncil.com.au/resource/what-to-do-after-abushfire

CPA Australia

Advice, resources and strategies for small businesses recovering after a disaster.

1300 73 73 73

cpaaustralia.com.au

If you have lost documents such as birth certificates, passports property titles due to a natural disaster, you can apply for replacement certificates free of charge.

You will need to state:

• What documents are missing
• How they were damaged.

A statutory declaration will be required for identification purposes.

To apply, click here.

Wind or storm damage  

If your home has been damaged by wind or storm call VICSES on 132 500. They can help to make your home safe if:  

Road Closures 

Check road closures before you travel via the VicTraffic website. The roads you normally drive on may be closed.  

If you need to leave home:

Talk to family / friends to see if you can stay with them, however if you do not have somewhere to stay and you need to leave, check via VicEmergency app, select relief and recovery tab to get up to date information on open relief centres.    

A relief centre can provide basic support like somewhere to stay, food, water, and mental health first aid.  

Find a relief centre via the VicEmergency app or Incidents and Warnings - VicEmergency to check which relief centre is open. 

Travel 

Accidents are more frequent during stress. Be extra aware of how you and other people are driving. Slow down. 

Look out for hazards like damaged trees and roads, fallen power lines, exposed wires or broken gas pipes. 

Check road closures before you travel via the VicTraffic website. 

Read safety tips for returning home from the Better Health Channel.

Stay up to date 

• Don’t rely on one source of information. 
• Charge your phone when it’s low on power.
• Download the VicEmergency App and set up a watch zone for your area.
• Save the VicEmergency Hotline 1800 226 226 to your phone. 
• Know who your local emergency broadcaster is. 
• Carry a portable radio with you if you have one. 

For the most up to date information on current fires, go to emergency.vic.gov.au
Call Triple Zero (000) in life threatening emergencies.

Help and support

If you need help, please call the VicEmergency hotline on 1800 226 226. Press 9 for an interpreter.

Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES)

Flood, storm, emergency first responders and flood preparedness.

Phone 13 25 00 or visit ses.vic.gov.au

Australian Red Cross

Help to cope with a crisis and manage what you or others might experience after a natural disaster.

redcross.org.au/emergencies/coping-after-a-crisis