The past weeks have proved to be some of the most turbulent in Queensland's history, with severe weather and flooding effecting much of the State; in particular the South East corner. As a result many individuals, families and organisations have experienced great loss and continue to face hardship as the recovery process slowly begins. We join the thousands of affected Queenslanders in grieving the tragic loss of loved ones, homes and livelihoods, while applauding the determination and generosity of all who have offered assistance to those in need.
While the Workforce Council's Adelaide Street office was forced to close for much of last week as part of the evacuation of Brisbane's CBD, our building was fortunately spared from the floodwaters and we are pleased to share that we have now reopened and are available to offer support to our networks, member organisations and stakeholders.
If there is anything that we can do to assist organisations who are currently under-staffed or trying to re-open following impacts of the flooding please contact us directly by phone: (07) 3234 0190 or email: admin@workforce.org.au for information or assistance.
You may also find the following links helpful:
Commonwealth Bank: The Commonwealth Bank has made $5 million available in $20,000 grants to help not-for-profit groups that have been impacted by the flood.
Chamber of Commerce & Industry Queensland: a wide range of information available for organisations affected by flooding including: Flood assistance packages for organisations; Finance; Workplace Health and Safety; Lease Obligations; Employee Management. Information can be accessed at and you can call the CCIQ Employer Assistance Line on 1300 135 822 or for general flood related enquiries contact 1300 548 044.
Queensland Government: flood assistance for small business including: Financial assistance; Managing and paying your staff; Support and advice for small businesses; Flood Recovery; Planning for the future.
Fair Work Australia: information on your responsibilities as an employer when: an employee cannot attend work due to the floods; managing organisation shut-downs; employees' eligibility to take Community Services Leave to assist with flood operations.
Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment: information on financial assistance available to individuals affected by the floods.
Volunteering Queensland Brisbane City Council: information on how to volunteer to assist clean-up efforts.
Insurance: Contact your insurance company as soon as possible or call the Insurance Council of Australia's Queensland Flood Hotline on 1300 728 228. Contact WorkCover to confirm if your insurance covers volunteers on 1300 362 128.
BSA disaster Recovery: to locate BSA-licenced contractors and suppliers to assist with cleaning up and/or re-building.
Queensland Health: community health fact sheets and advice for recovery with the flood disaster.
Queensland Health: advice on dealing with stress and well-being, including fact sheets on dealing with children and crisis, looking after staff well-being and dealing with stress after emergencies.
Early Childhood Australia: information on dealing with children and emotional stress.
What Happened to My World?: Information on understanding confusion, fear, grief, and struggles in relation to inexplicable accidents or the forces of nature.
If you have any useful information which may be of use to other organisations, please email them to admin@workforce.org.au so we can help share it with others.
The Workforce Council will be reviewing our scheduled workforce activities and initiatives across the State in liaison with our stakeholders to make informed decisions about any activities which may need to be cancelled or postponed.
We encourage organisations to contact their funding bodies to discuss an extension of any relevant reporting or application deadlines as necessary. The Workforce Council will be advocating to government departments on behalf of our industries to support this over the coming weeks.
If there is any way in which the Workforce Council can be of assistance during this difficult time, please do not hesitate to contact us via your regular Workforce Council contact or by phone: (07) 3234 0190 or email: admin@workforce.org.au.
