Legal help for flood-affected communities in NSW

Our thoughts go out to people, families and communities impacted by the recent, devastating floods that have destroyed and damaged homes, infrastructure, animals and ​properties across the state.

Community legal centres are working on the ground in flood-affected communities and can help with the many legal problems disasters cause, including with:

• insurance claims
• housing and tenancies
• income and social security (including disaster relief payments)
• credit and debt
• family violence and family law
• destroyed documents and wills

This page has information about how to contact community legal centres, other legal assistances services, and financial and emotional supports.

Where to find legal help

Find your local community legal centre operating on the ground

• LawAccess NSW can help you find free legal help.
  Phone 1300 888 529 between 9:00am to 5:00pm Monday to Friday.
   
• The Community Legal Centres NSW directory will ask you a few questions and tell you which community legal centres may be able help you.
   
• Disaster Response Legal Service NSW, Legal Aid NSW
  Phone: 1800 801 529 between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday

  Legal Aid NSW can help with everyday legal problems including insurance claims and disputes, financial hardship, tenancy and Centrelink.

Community legal centres in areas affected by the 2021 flooding include: 

• Elizabeth Evatt Community Legal Centre (Blue Mountains and Central Tablelands Region)
  Phone: 4704 0207 or 1300 363 967
  Tenancy helpline: 4704 0201
   
• Central Coast Community Legal Centre
  Phone: 02 4353 4988.
  Email: contact@centralcoastclc.org.au
   
• Hunter Community Legal Centre
  Phone: (02) 4040 9120 or 1800 650 073
   
• Macarthur Legal Centre
  Phone: (02) 4628 2042
  Tenancy: (02) 4628 1678 or 1800 631 993
   
• Mid North Coast Community Legal Centre
  Phone: 02 6580 2111.
  Email: info@mncclc.org.au
   
• Northern Rivers Community Legal Centre
  Phone: 02 6621 1000 or 1800 689 889
   
• South West Sydney Legal Centre
  Phone: (02) 9601 7777
  Email: info@swslc.org.au
   
• Western Sydney Community Legal Centre (including Nepean and Hawkesbury region)
  Phone: 02 8833 0911.
  Email: intake@wsclc.org.au
   

For women affected by natural disasters:

• Domestic Violence Legal Service at Women’s Legal Service NSW. 
  Phone: 8745 6999 or 1800 810 784.
   
• Factsheet with information about family law parenting issues and child support if you are you are affected by a natural disaster.
   
• Factsheet which provides information if you have an AVO for your protection and you are affected by a natural disaster.

For tenants affected by flooding:

• Tenants' Union of NSW
  Tenants’ Advice Line: 1800 251 101
   
• Disaster damage for renters
  As a tenant you have rights. This factsheet is about damage to rental properties that are caused by storm, fire or flood, or other events you can't control (e.g. a car crashes into your home).

For people who need help with insurance:

• Financial Rights Legal Centre
  Insurance Hotline: 1300 663 46

For people who need help with social security issues:

• Welfare Rights Centre
  Phone: 9211 5389.
  Email: sydney@welfarerights.org.au

For small businesses, farms and other primary producers affected by floods or other climate disasters: 

• Natural Disaster Community Support, Justice Connect

Legal Aid factsheets on climate disasters and legal issues:

• Insurance
• Centrelink
• Financial Hardship
• Replacing Important Documents
• Tenancy
• Workplace rights
• Coronial
• Wellbeing
• Small Business and Farmers

Other support and resources

• Flood relief assistance 
  The NSW Council of Social Service has an up-to-date list of supports you can access.

• Financial support recovery payments
  If you’re directly affected by the floods, you may be able to apply for one or more government payments.
  Phone: 180 22 66

• Mental health support after a natural disaster, Lifeline
  Phone: 13 11 14

• Responding to natural disasters, a trauma informed approach
  This webinar is for community workers on how to take a trauma informed approach when working in flood-affected areas.

• Assisting clients affected by natural disasters, AskLOIS

• Insurance basics - following a disaster
  A podcast featuring the Legal Aid Disaster Response Service NSW.

Please note that Community Legal Centres NSW is a peak-body and cannot directly provide people with assistance for flood relief.