Flooding - Katherine region

Immediate Relief Payments are a Northern Territory Government payment, jointly funded by the Australian Government.

These payments give immediate help to people who experienced financial hardship due to flood or cyclone events in March 2026.

Eligibility is based on where you live and how you were impacted. Payments are not means tested and include payments of $611 per adult and $309 per child, capped at $1,537 per family, with payments made via a pre-paid debit card.

For information about how to use your pre-paid card, see pre-paid card limitationsPDF (204.0 KB).

How to apply

Katherine residents can apply for an Immediate Relief Payment:

• online - by filling in the form (you will need to attend a Payment or Welfare Recovery Centre to collect your pre-paid debit card)
• in-person: at the GYRACC Welfare Recovery Centre (the centre is currently closed due to a cyclone preparation and response)

To apply for the new Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payments:

• online - via Australian Government's Services Australia website
• in-person - Centrelink staff will be available at the Godinymayin Yijard Rivers Arts and Culture Centre (GYRACC) Welfare Recovery Centre to assist with these applications (NTG Welfare Group cannot process these payments).

Residents from Jilkminggan and Wugularr/Beswick will be supported to apply for payments through the Welfare Group.

Eligible residents must bring:

• photo ID (for example, drivers’ licence)
• proof of residence (recent rental agreement, rates notice, utilities bill, letter from employer)
• proof of family status (for example, Medicare card or Centrelink).

If you don’t have your documents, go to Australian Government's Services Australia website or see births deaths and marriages.

For residents in evacuation centres

Residents staying at an Evacuation Centre have their essential needs provided by the Welfare Group including food, water, clothing, nappies, medical and psychosocial supports.

For residents evacuated areas in the Territory where they don’t usually reside, Immediate Relief Payments are staggered to support people both during evacuation and when people return home.

Jilkminggan

• Residents staying in the Mataranka Evacuation Centres can access payments during dedicated times in the Evacuation Centre.
• Any Jilkminggan residents currently in Katherine can apply from the Welfare Recovery Centre in Katherine East.
• Payments are made with 25% of eligible funds provided while evacuated and the remaining 75% once they return home.

Wugularr/Beswick

• Residents are receiving payments via outreach Welfare Group teams.
• Any Beswick residents currently in Katherine can apply from the Welfare Recovery Centre in Katherine East.

Eligible residents can apply for Re-establishment assistance to replace essential household items, with eligible households able to receive up to $8,843.

This assistance is means tested and there are limits on claims.

Re-establishment assistance is for people who:

• do not earn enough money (annual household incomes apply) to fix their home damaged by a major emergency AND
• do not have building or contents insurance AND
• cannot return home because it is damaged or destroyed OR cannot get to their home because of flooding on their property (road closures do not qualify) AND
• haven’t already had costs covered by compensation, donations, or other charity help.

For those residents who meet the income thresholds and who cannot claim through their insurance, they may be eligible for support to repair or replace essential household items, such as:

• beds and bedding
• furniture
• refrigerators
• washing machines
• other whitegoods
• basic household items.

How to apply

You can apply online or in person:

• complete the online RA form (you will need to attend a Payment or Welfare Recovery Centre to collect your pre-paid debit card)
• in person at the Big Rivers Government Centre, 5 First St between 8am and 4pm, Monday to Friday.

Eligible residents must bring:

• photo ID (e.g. drivers’ licence)
• proof of residence (recent rental agreement, rates notice, utilities bill, letter from employer)
• proof of family status (e.g. Medicare card or Centrelink).

If you don’t have your documents, Services Australia or Births Deaths and Marriages can help. Services Australia may also be onsite to assist.

You will also need to show proof of:

• income, for example, a payslip or Centrelink payment summary
• insurance status, for example, a document from your insurance company
• impact on your home, for example, photos of damages or quotes for repairs.

To ensure you have the appropriate evidence to support damage and eligibility assessments, you must document (photos and footage) any inundation (flooding) of your home. Do not dispose of damaged items without recording evidence of the damage.

Eligible residents can claim up to $340 per adult and $172 per child, capped at $1,160 per family to reimburse the cost of short-term temporary accommodation while they were unable to return home. This assistance is means tested.

How to apply

Affected residents can apply:

• in person - at the GYRACC between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday (the centre is currently closed due to a cyclone preparation and response)
• filling in a form (once available) and emailing it to DCF.WelfareEMHPIP@nt.gov.au.

Eligible residents must provide:

• a tax receipt for out-of-pocket accommodation expenses in the name of the applicant (including ABN and GST details)
• photo ID (such as drivers’ licence)
• proof of residence (recent rental agreement, rates notice, utilities bill, letter from employer)
• proof of annual income (payslips, tax statements or Centrelink statements).

Income limits apply

Payments are means-tested, and income thresholds apply. Please see below for income thresholds.

The DRFA also supports the NT Government and local authorities to undertake:

• counter-disaster operations
• debris removal
• emergency works
• restoration of essential public infrastructure.