Structural assessment for affected properties and businesses
Has your house or business been affected by the flooding in Victoria beginning in October 2022? You can get a free assessment of structures on your property, like buildings or caravans. The assessment will tell you about the damage to the structure, including if it is dangerous to live in or use.
You can register for the assessment whether you own the property or are renting, and we will work with the property owner. We do not collect information about anyone else living or working at the property.
Once you register, Emergency Recovery Victoria will call you to confirm the property owner and get their permission for the structure to be assessed.
The assessment will involve a local team coming to your property. They will check the safety of the structure, look for harmful materials and assess any electrical dangers. For example, water damage can lead to mould, and this may take some time to appear.
After the assessment, you will get a report. You can use this report as part of an insurance claim, or to tell tradespeople about the repairs you need.
If the report says that the structure needs work to make it safe and you are uninsured, you can register to have the hazards removed from the structure for free. If the structure is recommended for demolition, you can register to have it removed for free. Both services are opt-in, you do not have to do anything further.
The program is available for properties located in local councils on the list of natural disaster declarations.
We promote and encourage property owners to maintain appropriate and adequate insurance coverage for their properties. We also ensure that property owners, regardless of whether they are insured or not, receive equitable benefits from state-coordinated clean-up programs.
Register online using the Structural Assessment form or via the Flood Recovery Hotline on 1800 560 760
Eligibility
You must be in a declared and eligible LGA.
Your property must be a residential property (including a residential structure on a farm) or a commercial property of a small business. This includes caravans used for residential or small business purpose.
You must have damaged structures on your property.
Structures will be assessed at no cost if the structure meets two of the three criteria:
- a building or object constructed from several parts
- a building or object that rests on deliberately placed foundations
- a building or object that is connected to 2 or more essential systems (e.g. mains water, electricity or solar including batteries, sewage or gas).
People renting a property or caravan as a private residence can also register.
The assessment process
Once you have registered, using the Structural Assessment form or via the Flood Recovery Hotline on 1800 560 760 a member of our team will contact you to process your registration and book a time for your assessment.
The all-hazards structural assessment will be undertaken by qualified contractors. Johns Lyng Group (JLG) are the appointed clean-up contractors. They have extensive experience in responding to emergency events and put community at the centre of recovery efforts, engaging local trades in recovery and repair efforts. Contractors will be wearing Emergency Recovery Victoria or Johns Lyng Group branded attire and you can ask for photo ID.
JLG will conduct the assessment, and a report is provided to the property owner, and to the local council. The assessment report includes a summary, detailed reports and photos from an electrical inspector, hygienist and building engineer and an assessment of whether the damage was caused by the floods, and therefore whether it may be eligible for further support.
The report will also provide an overall assessment of how the structure may need to be managed.
The categories are:
- demolition recommended
- make safe works recommended
- no works required.
Once you have received your report, you can decide what to do next. You are not required to take any further action through the Flood Recovery Clean Up Program however, depending on your circumstances, a range of support may be available. The report will also be provided to your local council.
You can also use your structural assessment report to provide information to your insurance provider or builder and contract their own demolition and repair work.
If your structure is recommended for demolition
We are providing free demolition and removal of structures, regardless of insurance status, where the property owner requests this service and it is recommended through the structural assessment program. This means that property owners can then focus their efforts and resources on rebuild.
Once you have received your report, a member of the team will be in contact to find out if you would like to opt-in for demolition.
If your structure is deemed repairable, and you don’t have insurance
Structures that are uninsured and deemed repairable through the structural assessment program may be eligible for make-safe works. Owners of insured properties should contact their insurer.
Make-safe works remove identified hazards so that property owners can safely commence any necessary flood repairs.
Hazards at flood damaged properties present immediate risks to the health and safety of homeowners and residents, emergency services agencies, volunteer groups and clean-up providers who may inadvertently expose themselves to unidentified hazards. The make-safe program will ensure that hazards in uninsured structures are removed and will also reduce the likelihood of hazardous materials being dumped illegally or moving unsafely into the waste system.
The make-safe program does not include general clean up, mucking out or removal of non-hazardous waste and does not necessarily make the structure habitable.
Site works
Any make-safe or demolition work undertaken through the program will be consistent with the work identified in the structural assessment report. The property owner or their nominated representative must agree to the work being undertaken.
The contractor will arrange relevant permits, work crews and manage connections to relevant services (water and gas) where necessary through the program.
Properties will be assessed against cultural heritage registers to identify sites and artefacts of cultural heritage significance before works begin.
Site work may be undertaken in several stages, for example, if there are hazardous materials, these may need to be removed before other work can start.
Once works are complete, we will provide the property with completion documentation.
Register your property
Use this form to register for a free structural assessment of a flood-affected property.
After you register, you will receive a phone call from Emergency Recovery Victoria to process your registration.
Please note that we are receiving a high volume of registrations and calls. We will try to get back to you as soon as we can.
Access to other support
We understand that this can be a difficult process. There is support, counselling and advice available for you and your family.
Phone Triple Zero (000) if you or someone you know is in immediate danger.
You can call the Flood Recovery Hotline on 1800 560 760 or any of the below services for mental health and wellbeing support:
-
Lifeline is a 24-hour telephone service that offers confidential support and advice to help you deal with stress and personal challenges.
13 43 57 - Beyond
Beyond Blue has an information line that offers expert information on depression, how to recognise the signs of depression, how to get help, how to help someone else and how to stay well.
1300 224 636 -
This is a 24-hour telephone service that allows people to discuss any health-related issues with a registered nurse for the cost of a local call.
1300 606 024
Reviewed 14 March 2023
