Many of us have family, friends or colleagues who have lost homes or been forced to evacuate from their properties during the bushfires.
For those members who have been impacted, the following support is available:
Fee assistance
For members of the NSWNMA who have lost homes, property or livestock in these fires, or have been injured in the course of this catastrophe, the Association is offering fee assistance.
To access this support, please email gensec@nswnma.asn.au, or call us on 1300 367 962.
Please note that, due to the enormity of this event, each request for assistance will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
Industrial support
Members in affected areas may be experiencing issues with work, including being unable to attend work due to the fires, having to take time off work to support family and protect property or volunteer to fight the fires. In the first instance, where possible, please ensure you contact your employer to notify them of your circumstances. If you need industrial advice or support, please do not hesitate to contact us on gensec@nswnma.asn.au.
Please note that industrial rights and leave arrangements available in the current situation will vary between awards, agreements and employers. Your rights will also be in part determined based on your individual circumstances. Include as much information as possible about your situation in any contact with us.
Mental health
We also urge you to look after yourself, family, neighbours and friends, and to access mental health services if you need it. You can contact any of the following services to access this support, or you can contact your employer to access their Employee Assistance Program.
Disaster Welfare Assistance Line: 1800 018 444
NSW Mental Health Line: 1800 011 511
Nurse Midwife Support: 1800 667 877
Offers of help
For those who are not directly impacted by the bushfires, but wish to assist the efforts, we urge you to make a donation to one of the many charities doing great work on the ground, including the Rural Fire Service: www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/volunteer/support-your-local-brigade
At this stage, regional health facilities have not sought volunteer medical assistance from us. However, we will advise members of any request from NSW Health if such a request does arise.
Counselling for those impacted by the bushfires
The federal government has relaxed the usual requirements to access counselling for those impacted by recent bushfires. Normally you have to get your GP to do an assessment that says you require counselling. You can now choose a service and make an appointment without first visiting a GP.
You don’t have to live in a fire-affected area to access this counselling. Whatever the reason – if it’s bushfire related the need to see a GP first is waived.
This initiative allows access to 10 counselling sessions.