List of disasters

In response to a disaster you may wish to collect funds or make donations to help victims. This page provides a list of declared disasters.

See also

• Australian disaster relief funds and tax deductible gifts
• Developed country disaster relief funds
• Overseas aid funds

Australian disaster relief fund list

For a fund to be eligible for endorsement as an Australian disaster relief fund, the disaster must meet various legal requirements.

The disasters meeting these legal requirements are listed below.

Tax deductions for donations to these funds can usually only be claimed for the first two years after the disaster is declared.

Disaster relief fund list

Name of disaster	Start date for tax deductible gifts	Government declaration
Townsville floods	31 January 2019	Townville schools to close tomorrow as disaster declaration madeExternal Link
Bushfires – NSW	11 November 2019	Premier declares State of Emergency in NSWExternal Link
Bushfires – The Duck Pond fire, South Australia	11 November 2019	South Australian bushfires declared disasters for the purpose of tax-deductible donations to bushfire relief fundsExternal Link
Bushfires – The Yorketown fire, South Australia	20 November 2019	South Australian bushfires declared disasters for the purpose of tax-deductible donations to bushfire relief fundsExternal Link
Bushfires – The Cudlee Creek, Kangaroo Island and Angle Vale fires, South Australia	20 December 2019	South Australian bushfires declared disasters for the purpose of tax-deductible donations to bushfire relief fundsExternal Link
Bushfires – The Keilira fire, South Australia	30 December 2019	South Australian bushfires declared disasters for the purpose of tax-deductible donations to bushfire relief fundsExternal Link
Bushfires – Victoria	2 January 2020	Victorian Government Declares A State Of DisasterExternal Link
Bushfires – ACT	31 January 2020	State of Emergency declared for ACTExternal Link
COVID-19 Pandemic	18 March 2020	Assistant Minister Seselja declared the COVID-19 pandemic across Australia a disaster for the purpose of establishing Australian disaster relief funds as DGRsExternal Link
Queensland and New South Wales floods	22 February 2022	Income Tax Assessment (Australian Disaster Relief Funds) Declaration 2022External Link

If the disaster you wish to collect funds for is not listed here, direct your enquiries to the relevant state of territory authority.

Relevant state of territory authority list

State/territory	Authority	Phone	Website
New South Wales	Emergency Management NSW	(02) 8247 5900	emergency.nsw.gov.auExternal Link
Northern Territory	Northern Territory Treasury	(08) 8999 7406	treasury.nt.gov.auExternal Link
Queensland	Department of the Premier and Cabinet	(07) 3224 2111	premiers.qld.gov.auExternal Link
South Australia	Security and Emergency Management Commission	(08) 8463 4056	safecom.sa.gov.auExternal Link
Tasmania	Tasmanian Department of Premier and Cabinet	1300 135 513	dpac.tas.gov.auExternal Link
Victoria	Emergency Management Victoria	(03) 8684 7900	emc.vic.gov.auExternal Link
Western Australia	Fire and Emergency Services Authority of Western Australia	(08) 9323 9300	dfes.wa.gov.auExternal Link

Developed country disaster relief fund list

For a fund to be eligible for endorsement as a developed country disaster relief fund, the disaster must be recognised by a Treasury minister as a disaster.

Tax deductions for donations to these funds can usually only be claimed for the first two years after the disaster is declared.

There are no current developed country disasters recognised by a Treasury minister.

This document provides a list of declared disasters.