Longwood Bushfire Support

Click to Download your Bushfire Recovery Information Guide

For up-to-date bushfire warnings, incidents, and official advice, visit emergency.vic.gov.au/respond/

Critical Information

Personal Wellbeing

It is normal to have strong emotional or physical reactions following a distressing event. Look out for changes or signs of someone’s mental health might be changing. There is always help available through your doctor – request a Medicare Mental Health Plan.

Rural Aid Australia – Counselling Services

Phone: 1300 175 594

Access support by contacting

Lifeline – 131 114

Beyond Blue – 1300 224 636

MensLine – 1300 789 978

Kid’s Help Line – 1800 55 1800

Parent Line – 13 22 89

National Centre for Farmers Health (03) 5551 8533

Protect your health

Staying hydrated helps protect your physical and mental wellbeing. Dehydration can be dangerous. Drink plenty of fluids, ideally water.

You can speak to a registered nurse 24 hours a day by calling Nurse-on-Call on 1300 60 60 24.

Stress management techniques are available at www.beyondblue.org.au/mental-health/what-is-stress#stress-management-techniques

Family Violence support is available, contact 1800 737 732 (1800RESPECT) or visit www.vic.gov.au/familyviolence

Returning Home

For guidance on safely returning home after a bushfire, please refer to the Australian Red Cross online guide: https://www.redcross.org.au/emergencies/coping-after-a-crisis/returning-home-after-a-bushfire/

Insurance & Legal

Insurance

Contact your insurance company, even if you are not sure how much damage there is. You can start your claim. Get a copy of your policy.

Check with your insurer before making any repairs. Take photos and make a list of everything that is damaged. The Building and Plumbing Commission has advice for what to do after a bushfire. Click here to learn more.

Notify your insurer or your insurance broker as soon as you can after an incident. Your insurer may ask for information you cannot provide (eg documents which are lost or damaged). If they do not accept that you cannot provide this information, you should seek legal advice.

Help with insurance & legal matters

You can get free advice before you accept a settlement offer from your insurer. Talk to a financial counsellor through the National Debt Helpline on 1800 007 007.

Financial Rights Legal Centre can provide legal assistance in dealing with insurers. They have factsheets and sample letters you can use. Visit www.financialrights.org.au

Disaster Legal Help Victoria provides free legal advice, assistance and referrals for people affected by a disaster. For assistance, call 1800 113 432 from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.

ARC Justice is also available to help with legal problems arising from the fires eg. how to end a lease, insurance disputes, social security entitlements and possible employment law issues. Free call number 1800 450 909.

Waste Disposal

Free Waste Disposal

People from the local LGAs impacted by the fire won’t need to pay any fees at waste disposal facilities if they show proof of residence, like a driver’s license.

The fee waivers will run for 120 days to 13 May 2026 to ensure impacted communities have enough time to clean up their property and start getting back on their feet.

LGA’s include: Mansfield Shire, Mitchell Shire, Murrindindi Shire & Strathbogie Shire.

Please visit your local LGA’s Bushfire Information Page for more information on waste disposal options for you.

Power & Phone

Community Update

Updated 15/01/26

Restoration of electricity and essential services following the Longwood bushfires is a complex and safety-critical process, with progress dependent on conditions across fire-affected areas.
AusNet has commenced preliminary damage assessments, including aerial inspections, to determine the extent of impacts to power infrastructure and surrounding properties.
Where conditions permit and homes remain habitable, temporary power solutions (including generators) are being explored, subject to strict safety requirements.
Residents using private generators or solar systems must disconnect from the grid to protect line workers and enable safe restoration activities.

Support Contacts

AusNet

Check website for updates on outages and restoration timelines at www.ausnetservices.com.au/outages.

Bushfire Support Line on 1300 561 171.

Telstra

Disaster Support Hotline on 1800 888 888.

Additional data has been added to mobile services automatically, to impacted areas.

Drinking Water

Updated: 18/01/26

Personal Water Replacement

Each household may be eligible to receive 20,000L of relief drinking water. Visit Emergency relief drinking water 2026 to see if you are eligible and to fill out an online form:

www.water.vic.gov.au/about-us/news/news-stories/emergency-relief-drinking-water-2026

Private drinking water safety

A bushfire-affected area includes locations where water-bombing has occurred and where ash, debris, fire retardants, or animal remains may have entered properties.
In these areas, private drinking water supplies may be contaminated and should be treated with caution.
If water tastes, smells, or appears unusual, do not use it for drinking, food preparation, brushing teeth, or for animals. Use bottled water instead.
In non-bushfire-affected areas, smoke-tainted rainwater is unlikely to pose a health risk. If taste is a concern, bottled water may be used for drinking while rainwater continues to be used for other purposes.
Guidance is available on protecting and assessing private drinking water supplies following a fire via Better Health Victoria: www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/bushfire-aftermath-safety-tips

Town water supply status

Goulburn Valley Water, in consultation with the Department of Health, has lifted the Boil Water Advisory for Longwood and Longwood East.

Drinking water access

A water tanker is available for community use:

Molesworth Hotel and General Store – 8:00 am to 9:00 pm
Longwood Recreation Reserve – 8:00 am to 4:00 pm

Bottled water is being provided for fire-affected landholders in and around Longwood.

People with large water carting tankers can access free standpipes at the locations below.

Standpipe / water fill locations

Euroa – Friendlies Oval, 9 Gobur Street
Bonnie Doon – Bonnie Doon Recreation Reserve, 2 Davon Street
Alexandra – Alexandra Rotary Park (opposite 49 Vickery Street)
Yea – Yea Recreation Reserve, 18 Snodgrass Street
Seymour – Standpipe access available

Please visit your local LGA’s Bushfire Information Page for more information on water access options for you.

Emergency Relief Centres

Mansfield

Mansfield Sporting Complex, 35 Highett Street, Mansfield. Open 8am to 6pm.

Seymour

Seymour Sports and Aquatics Centre (Chittick Park), Pollard Street, Seymour. There is disability access. Small pets including dogs and cats are welcome.

Whittlesea

Whittlesea Community Centre, 57-61 Laurel St, Whittlesea

Road Access

Updated 16/01/26

Goulburn Valley Highway

The Goulburn Valley Highway from Yea to Cathkin is now open. This includes the road network from Cathkin to Alexandra – Goulburn Valley Highway merging to the Maroondah Highway.

These roads have been opened as an access level C – Authorised Access for residents and recovery services.

This allows access to:

Local residents returning to their homes.
People providing recovery and relief services to residents in this area.
Council or VicRoads employees or sub-contractors.
Business owners in the immediate area of Ruffy.
DEECA or Ag Vic staff facilitating the treatment and humane destruction of injured animals.
Individuals or groups delivering relief and aid to residents and animals.

Longwood-Ruffy Road

The Longwood-Ruffy Road as well as the roads feeding into the region have been opened.

These roads have been opened as an access level C – Authorised Access for residents and recovery services.

Vic Traffic

For current road closure information please visit traffic.transport.vic.gov.au

Farming Information

Fencing

BlazeAid

BlazeAid is providing volunteer assistance with fencing repairs for fire-affected properties.

Landholders requiring support are encouraged to register directly with BlazeAid.

How to register

Contact: Debra Ong – 0466 310 959
Email: longwood@blazeaid.com.au
Website: www.blazeaid.com.au

Fodder Drive

About

A community-led fodder drive has been established to support farmers and landholders impacted by the Longwood bushfires. The initiative is focused on collecting and distributing hay and fodder to properties that have experienced stock losses, pasture damage, or feed shortages. This is a short-term initiative to keep livestock alive.

Donations are being coordinated locally to ensure fodder reaches those most in need, as safely and efficiently as possible. Distribution is being managed in line with access conditions, safety requirements, and on-ground priorities, recognising that some areas remain restricted.

Contact Details

To donate or receive fodder please contact: 0486 355 149

Location: Corner of Depot Road & Middlemiss Road Longwood

Livestock

Landholders can call 1800 226 226 for urgent animal welfare.

Financial Aid

Visit our bushfire financial assistance page to learn more.

Disposal of Livestock

Disposing of deceased livestock is managed by the landholder as part of on-property recovery.

On-farm and off-farm options exist for the disposal of animal carcasses, including, knackeries and rendering facilities, licensed landfills and on-farm burial.

Agriculture Victoria is available to support landholders disposing of livestock with guidance, information and technical advice.

Agriculture Victoria has established a Livestock Disposal Advisory service to assist landholders with advice to dispose of livestock

This service can be contacted on 0407 145 007 and livestock.disposal@agriculture.vic.gov.au

For more information please visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/farm-management/emergency-management/bushfires/what-to-do-after-a-bushfire/disposing-of-carcasses-after-bushfire-flood-or-drought

Support for Primary Producers

Agriculture Victoria provides a comprehensive library of bushfire recovery resources to support farmers and landholders.

Resources cover damage assessment, wellbeing, water and fodder management, pasture and shelter recovery, weed control, horticulture, and broader farm recovery considerations.

These materials are designed to support practical, on-farm decision-making during both the immediate response and longer-term recovery phases.

More information is available at: agriculture.vic.gov.au/farm-management/emergency-management/bushfires/bushfire-factsheets-and-resources

Water Replacement

If your essential water supply has been impacted by firefighting activities, you can apply for water replacement assistance by completing the form below.

The form can be located at www.ffm.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0021/21288/Essential-Water-replacement-form.pdf

Stay informed, register your details

Name(Required)

First Last

Address(Required)

Town Post Code

Phone

Your current situation(Required)

I am impacted by the bushfire.

I can assist those impacted by the bushfire.

I would like to receive updates related to the bushfire.

Keep Connected

For the latest bushfire information refer to official sources of emergency information:

VicEmergency app
www.emergency.vic.gov.au
Tune in to local emergency broadcasters such as ABC local radio, commercial and select community radio stations, or SkyNews TV
Call the VicEmergency Hotline on 1800 226 226
Follow VicEmergency on Facebook and X

If you need additional assistance or guidance, please click here to contact Annabelle Cleeland MP’s office. Support is available at any time for anyone impacted.

Disclaimer

The information on this website is provided for general information purposes only. While care is taken to ensure content is current and appropriate, no warranty is given as to its accuracy, completeness, or currency.

Users are responsible for assessing the relevance and accuracy of the information for their own circumstances. No representation, express or implied, is made that the content is suitable for any particular purpose.

This website may include links to external websites, including social media platforms. These links are provided for convenience only and do not constitute endorsement or sponsorship of any external content.

To the extent permitted by law, no liability is accepted for:

any loss, damage, or injury arising from reliance on information provided on, or linked from, this website
any interference with or damage to a user’s computer systems, software, or data in connection with accessing or using this website

Where automatic language translation services are used, they are accessed at the user’s own risk. No assurance is given regarding the accuracy or reliability of translated content.

Report a problem