Crisis, disaster and recovery assistance

Road Access, Assessments & Repairs

All roads across the impacted area are currently open. Council will update Live Traffic NSW. For up to-date roads information, visit https://www.livetraffic.com/ to view road access and any repair works.

Water Contamination

Rainwater may be contaminated by debris, dead birds or animals, fire retardants, or large amounts of ash. The water may also be contaminated if the tank, internal lining or plumbing was damaged. The presence of ash and debris in rainwater is unlikely to be a health risk but could affect the appearance and taste. Fire retardants currently used in Australia are of low toxicity but may also affect the appearance and taste of rainwater. If you are concerned that your rainwater tastes, looks or smells unusual, or you suspect your rainwater has been contaminated, an alternative safe water supply should be used for human or animal consumption. If you need to bring in water, it is important you use an accredited water carter. If the water was used for firefighting by the NSW Rural Fire Service, reimbursement can be sought from Service NSW at 13 77 88. Further information is available here.

Damage to Wastewater Systems

Cessnock Bushfire Recovery Information Sheet NSW Reconstruction Authority On-site wastewater systems, such as septic tanks and aerated wastewater treatment systems (AWTS), and their land application systems, for example sprinklers and below ground drippers, can be easily damaged during a bushfire. Avoid driving or walking near a fire-affected system until it is assessed by a licensed plumber or service technician familiar with on-site wastewater systems. Cessnock City Council is assessing wastewater systems on affected properties. Further advice will be provided on scheduling inspections soon. More information on managing wastewater can be accessed here.

Firefighting & Water Replacement

During bush fire emergencies, firefighters may need to draw water from private properties as they work to protect life and property by suppressing the fire. Under certain circumstances, such as during a prolonged drought, this water may be replaced by the NSW RFS in consultation with the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) as the Agriculture and Animal Services Functional Area under the NSW Government’s Disaster Assistance Scheme. More information on criteria can be found here.

Trees & Vegetation on Private Property

For impacted properties, small amounts of felled trees and burnt vegetation can be disposed of at your local waste facility. Please contact Cessnock City Council on 02 4993 4100 for information on what supports Council are able to provide. Contact Service NSW on 13 77 88 if you need help with waste clean-up and disposal, as eligibility criteria applies.

Treated Timber

Copper chrome arsenate (CCA) is a wood preservative used to protect wood from rotting, fungi and insects. Burnt CCA-treated timber will contain arsenic. The SafeWork NSW provides information on safe disposal of CCA-treated timber and ash and steps you can take to protect your health.

Freshly treated CCA-timber can be identified by its yellow/greenish colour which fades to grey over time. It is not always easy to identify if a product is CCA-treated timber and if in doubt it is important to treat the timber as if it does contain CCA.

Small amounts of CCA-treated timber ash can be placed in a sealed plastic bag and disposed of at your local waste facility. Larger amounts of CCA-timber ash can be disposed of at the nearest suitable landfill. Please contact Cessnock City Council on 02 4993 4100 for information. Ash must be double bagged and sealed to ensure it’s contained during transport and handling. Do not put CCA-timber or ash in your garden organics bin.

Visit this website for more information.

Hazardous Materials & Asbestos

Buildings and other structures damaged in a bushfire leave health and safety hazards in the remaining debris and ash. If a fire-damaged building was built before 1990, it is likely to contain asbestos.

A fire damaged asbestos building does not generate significant levels of asbestos fibers in the air unless it is disturbed. Although it is generally low risk to walk around or nearby asbestos damaged buildings, risks can increase when the material is disturbed.

The site will need to be continually damped down so as not to cause dust or be sprayed with polyvinyl acetate (PVA), or a similar sealant, to reduce the risk of the asbestos fibers becoming airborne (further reapplication requirements need to be monitored). This needs to continue until the site is cleaned up. Dust suppression should not be so great that it causes runoff into nearby drains and waterways.

It is advisable you do not do any clean-up of asbestos yourself. Asbestos will be removed by a licensed asbestos removalist, who will ensure work is carried out safely.

All bushfire generated waste that contains asbestos must only be handled by appropriately trained people and disposed of at a landfill that can lawfully receive this type of waste. The nearest suitable landfill can be located by contacting Cessnock City Council on 02 4993 4100.

For more information on asbestos management, visit the SafeWork website here.

Damaged Buildings or Structures

If you have damaged structures on your property and are insured, check with your provider about support for clean-up. At this stage, non-or under-insured properties will be required to self-manage structural clean-ups and disposals.

Impact assessments are being completed and reviewed to determine the need for fencing clean-up, disposal and replacement. Once this work is complete, information will be provided on support for fence replacement. Fire-impacted fencing (free of dirt/vegetation) may be taken. The nearest suitable landfill can be located by contacting Cessnock City Council on 02 4993 4100.

Rural Aid was originally formed to provide farmers with hay through the Buy A Bale program. Rural Aid has now grown to incorporate:

Disaster Assistance: Respond & Recover, which includes:

• Wellbeing & Counselling
• Financial Assistance
• Domestic Drinking Water & Domestic Water Tanks
• Fodder
• Farm Army (www.farmarmy.com.au)
• Other support – as identified

Rural Aid is here to help farmers throughout the year and this includes in times of national, state or local storms and disasters. Rural Aid can provide support with confidential counselling, fodder, domestic water, financial assistance and also by providing access to volunteers through The Farm Army.

Registered farmers also have access to our counselling intake line - 1300 175 594. This phone line is staffed by a Rural Aid counsellor between 9am and 5pm AEST, Monday to Friday. Farmers can call to have a chat and the team will work to connect them with an appropriate team member to assist them.

Visit www.ruralaid.org.au or call 1300327624 to register with Rural Aid. 

• Australian Psychological Society (2020) Preparing for Natural Disasters: How to psychologically prepare for a natural disaster
• DART Centre for Journalism and Trauma (2014) working with traumatic imagery (2014)
• Australian Red Cross – Coping after a crisis
• Australian Red Cross – Bushfire Recovery webinar recordings

Face to face counselling (Cessnock) and telephone counselling – Lifeline. Phone 1300 152 854 to make an appointment with a counsellor available fortnightly.

Face to face or phone counselling with Farm Gate Counselling – Hunter New England Health. Phone 0477 322 581 to arrange either face to face or telephone counselling. 

Face to face, phone or video counselling – Hunter Primary Care. Phone 02 4935 3039 to make an appointment. Face to face services available at Cessnock, Maitland, Warabrook, Singleton and Kurri Kurri. Telehealth or video consultations also available.

Psychological preparedness for disasters

Being psychologically prepared when a disaster is happening can help you feel more confident, more in control and better able to make effective emergency plans. It can also help to reduce psychological distress and prevent longer-term mental health problems.

Being psychologically prepared means your natural reactions to stress can be anticipated and managed and this helps you feel more in control, clear headed and confident. The Red Cross highlight 3 steps to assist you in being psychologically prepared:

1. Anticipate – that you will feel worried or anxious and remember these are normal
2. Identify – what physical feelings or frightening thoughts might be adding to the fear
3. Manage – your responses so that you can stay calm

Below are helpful resources from Dr Rob Gordon, the Australian Red Cross and Australian Psychological Society that focus on preparedness for disaster. In addition to these are some tips below from the DART Centre for Journalism and Trauma that others have found helpful in managing distressing sensations and thoughts that arose whilst watching graphic imagery and sound, such as the up-coming ABC TV series “Fires”.

Experiment with different ways of building some distance into how you view images 
Some people find concentrating on certain details, for instance clothes, and avoiding others (such as faces) helps. Try adjusting the viewing environment. Reducing the size of the window or adjusting the screen’s brightness or resolution can lessen the perceived impact. Try turning the sound down or off when you can - it is often the most affecting part.

Take frequent screen breaks 
Look at something pleasing, walk around, stretch or seek out contact with nature (such as greenery and fresh air etc). Try to avoid watching programs with distressing images just before going to sleep. It is more likely to populate your mental space. (And be careful with alcohol - it disrupts sleep and makes nightmares worse). It’s a great time for us to talk about how we can #GetReadyTogether in 2021 and remind ourselves that the threat from the Black Summer of 2019/2020 has passed.

Personal Financial Counselling – Samaritans. Phone 0437 368 967 to make an appointment with Graham Smith. Graham helps people who may be having trouble paying bills, finding it hard to manage money, need help to negotiate with businesses chasing outstanding payment of bills. He can help you apply for hardship variations with creditors.

Small Business Financial Counselling – Phone 0427 458 647 to speak with Kristi Petersen. Rural Financial Counselling Services provide free support to small businesses who may be experiencing, or at risk of, financial hardship dur to impacts of drought, bushfire or COVID-19.

Service NSW Business Concierge – Phone 13 77 88 and request to speak with your local business concierge. They can provide personalised, ongoing support for small businesses impacted by bushfires, drought, COVID-19 and more. They can help identify and understand the information on the Service NSW website and support available to you, including financial support and how to adapt to meet changing regulatory requirements.

Service NSW Support Service Specialist (SSS) – Phone 13 77 88 and request to speak with your local Cessnock SSS. They can help you with any enquiries about support available through Service NSW, including information and support on the Cost of Living Program, which looks at where savings can be made across many different service providers including electricity, gas, telephone, insurance, discounts, etc.