Senior DRLS solicitor Liz (left) with Liesl Tesch, Member for Gosford (right).
On Saturday 6 December 2025, homes were lost and many significantly damaged when devastating bushfires tore through the residential suburb of Koolewong on the NSW Central Coast and the Crawford River area in the Mid North Coast region.
Solicitors from the Disaster Response Legal Service were on the ground at Recovery Assistance Points in Woy Woy and Bulahdelah giving face-to-face legal advice to impacted community members.
Residents, many of whom had suffered a total loss of their home and belongings, sought advice about insurance, including issues around cash settlements, accessing temporary accommodation, debris removal, and negotiating with their banks to waive or pause payments.
Other residents needed advice on tenancy issues, eligibility for disaster grants, social security issues and accessing financial hardship support.
At Woy Woy, the team met with NSW Premier Chris Minns, NSW Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib, Local Member for Gosford Liesl Tesch and Kate Meagher, A/CEO NSW Reconstruction Authority, who attended the RAP to offer support to impacted residents.
Group photo of services at Woy Woy Community Hub.
DRLS in the media
Our senior DRLS solicitor Ma'ata Solofoni spoke on ABC Central Coast radio about the types of legal problems our lawyers have been seeing on the ground and encouraged residents to seek legal help.
Ma’ata also spoke to the Daily Mail about common insurance issues that people experience in the immediate aftermath of a bushfire, and the importance of seeking legal help early:
“(We) prevent matters from becoming over-complicated … particularly around insurance, it can be a fairly drawn-out process if it's not dealt with correctly at the beginning.”
DRLS staff at Woy Woy Community Hub.
Do you need legal help?
If you have been affected by floods or bushfires and have legal questions over the holidays, you can call the Disaster Response Legal Service NSW on 1800 801 529 for free legal advice and information or check out the self-help tools and information on this website.
We can help with:
- insurance claims and disputes
- tenancy and housing problems
- government grants eligibility and appeals
- financial hardship
- Centrelink
- your rights at work
- replacing important documents
- domestic violence and family law advice
- disputes with neighbours
- other everyday legal problems.
For up-to-date information about ongoing recovery assistance and wellbeing support after the bushfires – check for fire recovery updates from the NSW Reconstruction Authority.