Whilst Queensland and Victorian flood victims were impacted dramatically and the public response has been outstanding, it will be a long, long time to recover.

There will be a number of government resources and co-ordinated efforts to provide benefits in kind, possibly some red tape reduction (although it is unlikely that many of last years fire victims would agree) and it will be an expensive time for most.

Unfortunately, there will always be red tape and victims are encouraged to be persistent and patient and not resort to the easy way out.

Government support, government benefits, council help etc., will typically come without strings, but it will be frustrating to satisfy the bureaucratic mumbo jumbo that goes with our modern society.

It would be unwise to put expenses or capital items on credit cards or borrow from a bank, although naturally there will be a temptation to do so.  Worse still would be applying for early benefits from personal retirement funds.  Hardship provisions for withdrawal from super funds remain the same and generally do not allow withdrawal to meet a short term financial difficulty.

Charitable organisations will be examining every possible way to assist victims and will probably have learnt from the fires last year.  A year after those devastating fires, a significant proportion of the public funds raised still has not been allocated or spent.

Our suggestion – persevere, persevere, persevere, with the bureaucracy and the charities and eventually the money will come.