Resources for community
- Support services directory
Browse support services in our region and beyond.
This directory lists local, state-wide and national support services, including family violence support services.
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Smoke Alarms
Working smoke alarms installed in every bedroom and living area are critical for saving lives and property.
Are you Ready?
wyndham.vic.gov.au/are-you-ready
The ‘Are You Ready?’ campaign helps residents and diverse communities prepare for emergencies by providing practical planning guides and videos in multiple languages.
VicEmergency App
The VicEmergency app provides real-time warnings and official advice for fires, floods, storms, and other emergencies across Victoria, helping residents stay informed and prepare for emergencies.
Understanding Insurance
The ‘Are You Covered?’ campaign helps people understand home and contents insurance so they can make sure they have enough cover to rebuild and recover after a disaster.
Thunderstorm Asthma
betterhealth.vic.gov.au/thunderstorm-asthma
Understand how spring grass pollen and specific weather conditions trigger epidemic thunderstorm asthma, who is most at risk, how you can prevent it, and emergency first-aid steps.
Fire Danger Ratings
Fire Danger Ratings provide a forecast on how dangerous a fire could be if one starts, enabling community members to take specific actions to protect themselves and their property.
Important Documents
prepare.apps.justiceconnect.org.au
Justice Connect’s Get ePrepared checklist is an interactive tool that helps people make a list of essential identity, financial, housing, and legal documents to safely store before an emergency or disaster happens.
AusAlert
AusAlert is a new emergency system that sends urgent safety warnings directly to mobile devices. To keep a hidden second safety phone undetected, turn off your mobile device or put it in aeroplane mode.
24-Hour emergency number
000 | police.vic.gov.au
If you are in immediate danger, call 000 for police, fire and ambulance help.
SES – Flood and Storm
132 500 | ses.vic.gov.au
The State Emergency Service (SES) is a volunteer-based emergency assistance agency that is the primary responder for flood and storm rescue, property damage mitigation and community disaster preparation.
Red Cross
1800 232 969 | redcross.org.au
The Australian Red Cross is a key humanitarian partner in emergency management, providing disaster preparedness information, supporting emergency services and coordinating community recovery after disasters.
AirSmart App
The AirSmart App provides live air quality information so that you can change your plans if air pollution levels are high. If you have asthma, this app is especially useful to plan your day or understand why you might be getting symptoms.
Know your local risk
This webpage provides an interactive mapping tool and support to help you understand your home's current exposure to flood and bushfire risk. Please note this does not include your risk of flash flooding, home fires or heatwaves.
Keeping cool on hot days
betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/how-to-cope-and-stay-safe-in-extreme-heat
This webpage offers practical information on staying hydrated, keeping cool, and planning ahead to prevent heat-related health problems during extreme weather.
Power Blackout
energy.vic.gov.au/about-energy/safety/power-outages/staying-safe-during-a-power-outage
This Victorian Government webpage offers safety advice for households experiencing a power outage.
Heat Stroke info
betterhealth.vic.gov.au/extreme-heat
Heatstroke is a life-threatening medical emergency requiring immediate emergency intervention when the body loses its ability to sweat and cool down.
Sandbagging Guide
The Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES) Sandbag Guide is a practical instructional resource that details how to correctly fill, lay, and stack sandbags to protect homes and property from incoming floodwaters.
Be Storm Safe
Understand how to prepare your homes before severe weather hits, how to stay safe during storm events, and manage damage or hazards afterwards.
Cooler Places
Local Councils in the West convert some of their community facilities (i.e. libraries and Community Spaces) into 'cooler places' on days of extreme heat. They do this when the Bureau of Meteorology issues a heatwave warning.
VicEmergency Translated Resources
vic.gov.au/relief-recovery-translated-information
Through this webpage you can access translated information and interpreter resources on emergency relief and disaster recovery support following natural disasters like bushfires, floods, and storms.
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Reducing Waste Guide
energy.gov.au/households/reducing-waste
This Reducing Waste Guide provides tips on how to minimise, reuse, and recycle everyday waste to save money and lower environmental impact.
My Smart Garden
My Smart Garden is a free, local council–supported program in Melbourne that offers workshops, resources, and community events to help residents build productive, sustainable outdoor spaces that grow food, save water, recycle waste, shelter homes, and support local wildlife.
One Small Step - App
One Small Step is a free sustainability app to help individuals calculate, track, and reduce their personal carbon footprint through simple, tailored everyday actions. Download the app through the App Store or Google Play.
Market Forces
Market Forces allows consumers to compare Australian banks and identify which institutions fund fossil fuel expansion versus those with no record of financing coal, oil, and gas projects.
NatureWest
NatureWest is an environmental non-profit in Melbourne's west that leads community-focused guided nature walks, environmental workshops, and conservation activities to help locals connect with and care for their surrounding waterways and ecosystems.
Plant more (native) trees
environment.vic.gov.au/more-trees
The Victorian Government and local councils are planting hundreds of thousands of native trees to cool streets and improve local health. Visit the site or contact your local council customer service to request a street or nature strip tree outside your home.
Local Community Gardens & Neighbourhood Houses
Local community gardens and neighbourhood houses regularly run DIY garden workshops, seed libraries, and composting sessions.
Permaculture Out West (POW)
Permaculture Out West (POW) is a volunteer-led community group in Melbourne’s West that promotes sustainable living & local food production through workshops, garden tours, and skill-sharing events.
The Adaptation Game
The Adaptation Game (TAG) is an interactive, local council–supported board game that brings communities together to simulate extreme weather scenarios, helping residents build real-world emergency preparedness, connection, and climate resilience.
Fact Check
Trusted sources during emergencies include official VicEmergency alerts and verified ABC local radio broadcasts. You can also check stories against accredited fact-checking outlets before sharing online.
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Parents for Climate Campaign
Australia’s leading climate advocacy organisation for parents, carers, families and all who care about a safe future for kids.
Friends of the Earth
Friends of the Earth Melbourne is a grassroots, anti-hierarchical environmental and social justice organisation that has been campaigning since 1973 to protect forests, waterways, and climate systems.
Women’s Climate Congress
The Women's Climate Congress is an Australian network established in 2020 that promotes women's collaborative leadership and inclusion in decision-making to shift political culture and drive action on climate change.
Environment Victoria
One of the state's peak conservation bodies, they coordinate local member groups across Melbourne to campaign for healthy ecosystems, transitioning away from fossil fuels, and protecting Victoria's native forests.
Renew Australia for All
Renew Australia for All is a movement backed by social services, unions, faith, community and multicultural groups, environment organisations and industry working together to deliver a fairer, better and more secure future for all Australians.
Tipping Point
tippingpoint.org.au
Tipping Point is an Australian grassroots organisation that empowers local communities to take collective, disruptive action to stop fossil fuel projects and accelerate the transition to clean energy.
350 Australia
350 Australia is a grassroots movement of over 60,000 people with local groups across the country dedicated to ending the use of fossil fuels and accelerating the global transition to clean, renewable energy.
Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC)
The Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC) is a youth-led grassroots movement focused on building a generation-wide network of young people to advocate for climate justice, stop new fossil fuel projects, and lead solutions for a clean, sustainable future.
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Discount on Victorian Energy Upgrades
energy.vic.gov.au/victorian-energy-upgrades
The Victorian Energy Upgrades program helps Victorians upgrade their homes and businesses with energy-efficient products and services by offering discounts and rebates.
Home insulation
sustainability.vic.gov.au/energy-efficiency-and-reducing-emissions
Insulation is the most important way to reduce heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer. Sustainability Victoria provides tips and tricks on how to insulate your home.
Energy Efficiency in Social Housing Program
homes.vic.gov.au/energy-efficiency-social-housing-program
The Victorian Government is investing $209.4 million to improve the energy efficiency and liveability of social housing properties across Victoria.
Energy efficiency for rental properties in Victoria
energy.vic.gov.au/households/electric-and-efficiency-standards-for-buildings
New minimum energy efficiency standards for rental homes will be phased in from 1 March 2027.
Compare your energy bill
Compare your energy costs with the Victorian Government’s independent comparison site.
Financial hardship
Your energy provider is legally required to help you if you are experiencing financial hardship, which can include reducing, pausing, or restructuring your bill payments.
If you inform your provider that you are having trouble paying, they must offer you assistance, such as a payment plan or access to their hardship program.
GreenPower
GreenPower is a government program that accredits independent renewable energy products, enabling households and businesses to purchase verified green power directly through their electricity providers to drive investment in new renewable generation.
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Disaster Legal Help Victoria
Disaster Legal help Offers free legal advice on insurance claims, underinsurance, and dispute resolution following a natural disaster or emergency.
Psychology for a Safe Climate
Psychology for a Safe Climate offers resources, workshops, and Climate Cafés to help individuals, activists, and health professionals foster emotional resilience and navigate climate-related anxiety.
Culturally diverse mental health and wellbeing web series
As part of our work in climate resilience we developed a community mental health and wellbeing web series.
Hear from culturally diverse community voices about mental health and wellbeing and how to get help.
This series was created with the support of the North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network.
Related GenWest resources
Support Services Help Sheet
Family violence
This resource lists support services, including family violence support services in Melbourne's west and national and some statewide services.
Read moreFlood Insurance Guide: A Maribyrnong Community Initiative
Health & wellbeing
This guide is designed to help navigate the complexities of flood insurance. Developed in partnership with insurance, financial, and recovery experts and the Maribyrnong community, it serves as a valuable resource for those impacted by flooding.
Read moreOur Community, Our Voice: Lessons from the 2022 Maribyrnong Flood
Plans, reports & strategies
'Our Community, Our Voice: Lessons from the 2022 Maribyrnong Flood' makes recommendations for councils, state government and support services. The recommendations have been informed directly by the experiences of women impacted by the flooding.
Read more