Emergencies can affect individuals, families, communities, businesses, industries, infrastructure and the environment. Council has a lead role in supporting recovery in these areas. If you have been affected by an emergency, you will find information on who to contact and what to do on the pages below.
Emergencies will happen and it is good to know there is support out there to get you, your business, your community and the environment on the road to recovery.
Detailed recovery information will be available on the Vic Emergency relief and recovery pages and on this website.
- Lifeline – 13 11 14 is a free, 24-hour telephone service that offers confidential support and advice to help you deal with stress and personal challenges.
- Beyondblue - information line –1300 224 636 provides information and support to help everyone in Australia achieve their best possible mental health
- Mensline – 1300 789 978 is a telephone support, information and referral service, helping men deal with their relationship problems.
- Nurse-on-Call – 1300 60 60 24 is a 24-hour telephone service that allows people to discuss any health-related issue with a registered nurse for the cost of a local call.
- Parentline - 13 22 89 is a confidential telephone helpline that offers information and counselling about parenting issues
- Kids Helpline - 1800 551 800 is a free, private and confidential 24/7 phone and online counselling service for young people aged 5 to 25
Once the emergency has subsided and the impact assessments completed, the long road to recovery begins.
Recovery does not focus on getting back to where you were before because often that is not possible.
Disaster-affected people, households and communities understand their needs better than any of the agencies or government departments. They have the right to make their own choices about their own recovery and aim to ‘build back better’.
Every community is different and their recovery processes will all differ. Recovery can take days, weeks, months or years and it will not be an easy road.
The Council website will run information about recovery initiatives after an emergency subsides.
People who have experienced significant loss need to consider a broad range of financial issues in the days and weeks that follow.
In Mansfield Shire, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) delivers financial support after an emergency. Support may also be available through public appeals and philanthropic support.
Support agencies will be available in an Emergency Relief Centre if one is opened.
Visit the DHHS financial crisis page for information about accessing the Personal Hardship Assistance Program.
This is an event that has occurred on a small scale. This may include home or possessions severely damaged or
destroyed through an incident such as a house fire, localised flood, storm, burst pipes or vandalism.
If you are require support following an emergency please call the Mansfield Shire Council Municipal Recovery Manager (MRM) on 0437 751 502.
Alternatively, you will find information about the support and services you need on Council's Single Incident Emergency Assistance flyer 308KB PDF.
After a major event like a fire or flood, you will see Council staff and specialists visiting our neighbourhoods. They are conducting a Secondary Impact Assessment (SIA).
We know this is a difficult time, and we want to explain why we are here and how this helps our community get back on its feet.
What is a SIA?
While emergency services (like the CFA or SES) do a rapid impact assessment during the event, a ‘Secondary Impact Assessment’ is a more detailed analysis of the impact to your property.
We visit properties, businesses, and public areas to understand the full extent of the damage. We look at:
- Your Home: A structural and hazards assessment of buildings, structures and sanitary health services on your property.
- Your Wellbeing: Do you have what you need (food, clothes, health support)?
Why we are doing this
We collect this information for three main reasons:
1. To get you help: We can offer referrals to vitally important services and connect you directly with them. Such serviced may include housing assistance, financial counselling, assistance with fencing or clean up.
2. To gather detailed information on the true impacts of this event to support our community to recover.
3. To secure funding: The state and federal governments provide money for recovery. Our SIA team’s data helps to guide where that money is needed most. Your information helps us “make the case” for Mansfield Shire to get its fair share of support.
About the data we collect
A Note on Our Visit: The Secondary Impact Assessment teams are made up of Mansfield Shire Council staff and specialists in building, environmental health, and community support. They will always be wearing high-visibility vests and carry official Council identification cards. Your participation is completely voluntary. You do not have to let us onto your property if you don’t feel comfortable, but the more information we have, the better we can support you. Allowing the team to see the impact on your property helps us understand the total damage to our Shire, which helps us get support from the government.