Free legal help is available to bushfire-hit communities: Legal Aid Queensland

Bushfire-affected people still trying to rebuild their lives after the 2019-2020 bushfires can access free legal help from Legal Aid Queensland.

Queensland was declared a State of Emergency during the 2019-2020 bushfire season when fires swept through parts of Rockhampton, Bundaberg, Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba, Ipswich and the Gold Coast.

Legal Aid Queensland’s consumer advocate and senior lawyer Paul Holmes said the COVID-19 pandemic impact in March has significantly slowed down fire-affected communities’ recoveries.

“Legal Aid Queensland has received funding to help those directly affected by the bushfires with their legal issues and to help them get back on their feet,” he said. “We can help people with a broad range of legal problems stemming from the bushfires.

“Anyone whose lives were directly affected by the bushfires can come to us for free help - whether it’s with dealing with their debt problems, or they’re having problems with their insurance, employment. or even family or criminal law matters,” he said.

Legal Aid Queensland’s Bushfire Legal Help program will provide legal help to bushfire-hit Queenslanders about:

  • Farms and debt
  • Rural based businesses whose sole or main business is providing goods and or services (which relate to primary production) to farming businesses
  • Personal debt including mortgages, personal loans, consumer leases and credit cards
  • Insurance
  • Employment
  • Family Law
  • Criminal Law.

Bushfire-affected Queenslanders needing legal help can call Legal Aid Queensland Disaster helpline 1300 527 700 for advice.

Media contact:

Caroline Page 3917 0406 / 0403 182 309 or Amanda Catania 3917 0407 / 0413 001 039

Last updated 30 September 2020

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