10 December 2025

Jeremy Rockliff, Premier

The Albanese and Rockliff Governments have activated additional emergency grants for residents affected by the Dolphin Sands bushfire on Tasmania’s East Coast.

These grants and assistance have been made under the joint Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).

The new grants are intended to support the medium to longer term needs of low-income households whose principal place of residence have been impacted by the bushfire and households that have experienced prolonged power outages.

The grants include:

  • Temporary Living Expenses Grants of up to $11,650 per household for households unable to reside in their principal place of residence.
  • Replacement of Household Items Grants of up to $11,650 per household for households that have incurred substantial loss of essential personal household items.
  • Repair and Restoration Grants of up to $11,650 per household for households that have incurred substantial property damage.
  • Essential Services Outage Grants for households that are subject to power outages of five days or more.

In addition, both levels of government will jointly fund clean-up assistance for the removal of debris from residential properties to make them safe and habitable.

The Albanese and Rockliff Governments are also providing disaster assistance to the Glamorgan Spring Bay Council, helping them recover from the bushfire impacts.

This disaster assistance enables council to help community members facing personal hardship and distress as a result of the fires.

Premier Jeremy Rockliff visited the Dolphin Sands community on Tuesday, inspecting the fireground and the devastating damage.

“My heart goes out to residents who have lost homes, shacks and other property to the bushfires,” Premier Rockliff said.

“Today, we are announcing a number of grants to further support Tasmanians as they enter the recovery phase.

“These grants will support Tasmanians who have suffered a great loss due to the bushfires.

“I want to thank the Federal Government for working with us to deliver much-needed support to Tasmanians impacted by the bushfires.”

Federal Minister for Emergency Management Kristy McBain said the Dolphin Sands community has been through an incredibly challenging time, and it was a priority to ensure people have the support they need to get back on their feet and start rebuilding their lives.

“We know that losing access to your home or essential household items can be devastating, and these grants are designed to ease some of that burden and help families focus on recovery,” Minister McBain said.

“This assistance is about more than just financial support. It’s about giving people confidence that they’re not facing this alone, and that both the Albanese and Rockliff Governments are standing with them every step of the way.

“I want to acknowledge the incredible efforts of emergency services and volunteers who have worked tirelessly to protect lives and property, and assure the community that we’ll keep working together to provide the help that’s needed now and into the future.”

To stay up to date with warnings and alerts, Tasmanians should download TasALERT App or visit the TasALERT.com.

Applications for the grants can be made at www.service.tas.gov.au/community-grants

For current bushfire updates, listen to ABC Local Radio or visit www.tasalert.com

For further information and updates about the southern Tasmanian bushfires, visit: