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National Post-Disaster Service Impact Snapshot
Understanding service demand, pressure and unmet need from 0-36 months after disasters through a gender lens.

About this survey

Gender and Disaster Australia (GADAus) is undertaking a national snapshot of what services are observing and responding to on the ground following disasters, from the immediate aftermath through to longer-term impacts (0–36 months).

This work aims to capture service-level insights - how disasters translate into changes in demand, complexity, safety concerns, and pressure on organisations supporting affected communities.

A gender lens is applied throughout, recognising that disasters interact with existing gendered inequalities and can shape both community need and service pressure in uneven ways.

What we are asking
This short survey asks services to reflect on:
changes in demand for your services following disasters
  • When impacts emerged (e.g. immediate, delayed, longer-term)
  • Types of issues observed (e.g. safety concerns, family and domestic violence, mental health impacts)
  • Any increased pressures on your organisation, including capacity, resourcing and funding
  • Which groups appear disproportionately affected, from a service perspective
Who should complete this

This survey is intended for organisations and services supporting communities affected by disasters, including those working in:

  • Family and domestic violence
  • Health and mental health
  • Housing and homelessness
  • Legal, financial and community services
  • Local government and state/territory government
  • Related front-line and community-based sectors

Time commitment

The survey takes approximately 10 minutes to complete.

Confidentiality and data use

This survey collects organisational-level observations only
Please do not include any personal or case-identifiable information (case examples are welcome, as long as they are non-identifiable)
All responses will be de-identified in reporting unless you indicate otherwise
Findings will be shared with participating organisations and used to inform policy, advocacy, and future research

Voluntary participation

Participation is voluntary, and you may skip any questions or exit the survey at any time.

Why this matters
There is currently limited national insight into how disaster impacts unfold over time at a service level, particularly through a gender lens.

Your input will contribute to a shared evidence base that can support:

  • More realistic disaster recovery timelines
  • Gender‑responsive planning and funding
  • Recognition of long‑term, unfunded service pressure
  • Improved outcomes for communities through stronger systems
SECTION 1: About your organisation

This section helps us understand the types of organisations responding, the disaster contexts responses are based on, and where insights are coming from.
1.What type of organisation are you? (Select all that apply)
2.What state/territory are you located in?
3.Thinking about your responses in this survey, are they based on:
4.Which type(s) of disaster are you referring to? (Select all that apply)
5.Approximately when did the disaster(s) you are referring to occur? (Select all that apply)
SECTION 2: Changes in demand

This section looks at whether demand for your services changed following a disaster, and the scale of that change. This could include increased presentations, more complex cases, or higher frequency of support needs.
6.Following a disaster, did your organisation experience changes in demand for services?
7.Approximately how much did demand change? (if known - Your best estimate is fine if exact data is not available)
SECTION 3: Timing of impacts (0–36 months)

We are particularly interested in when impacts emerged following disasters. Some organisations report immediate safety concerns and service increases, while others see increases in issues such as family and domestic violence or mental health impacts months or even years later.
8.When did you observe changes in demand or impacts? (Select all that apply)
9.Did different issues emerge at different time periods?
10.If yes to question 9:
Please briefly describe what you observed and when (e.g. safety concerns in the early weeks, followed by increases in family and domestic violence, legal issues or mental health impacts later).
SECTION 4: Types of impact observed

This section looks at the types of issues that increased following disasters. This may include immediate safety concerns, as well as longer-term impacts affecting individuals, families and communities.
11.Following disasters, did you observe increases in any of the following? (Select all that apply)
12.For the impacts you observed, did any of the following groups appear to be disproportionately affected? (Select all that apply. You may select multiple groups for each impact)
Women
Men
LGBTQIA+
Children/Young people
First Nations
Multicultural Communities
Not observed/Unsure
Family & Domestic Violence
Sexual Violence
Housing Instability
Financial Stress
Mental Health
Substance Use
Child/family Stress
Social Isolation
Basic Needs
13.Did any impacts: (check all that apply)
SECTION 5: Service pressure and capacity: This section looks at how your organisation responded to increased demand following disasters, and what happened when demand could not be met. This includes both resourcing pressures and other unmet needs.
14.Did your organisation experience an increase in demand for services following a disaster?
15.If yes, how did your organisation respond? (Select all that apply)
16.Were any increases in service provision:
17.Did these changes result in increased operating costs for your organisation?
18.If yes, what types of costs increased? (Select all that apply)
19.Were there times when your organisation was unable to meet increased demand?
20.If yes, what happened in those situations? (Select all that apply)
SECTION 6: Disaster relief and safety insights

This section looks at how disaster relief settings (such as evacuation centres or temporary accommodation) may have influenced safety, service access, and community behaviour.
21.Did you observe any of the following in relation to evacuation or temporary accommodation settings? (Select all that apply)
22.If relevant, please briefly describe any safety or access issues observed in these settings: (e.g. reasons people avoided or left, barriers to accessing services, gender or specific safety concerns)
23.Did you observe any informal or community-led responses to disaster relief or support?(e.g. community-run shelters, pop-up services, or organisations stepping outside their usual role)
24.If yes to the above question, please briefly describe what you observed (e.g. what was set up, who was involved, why it was needed, any gendered considerations or insights).
SECTION 7: Broader insights These final questions capture insights from your experience that may not be reflected in the earlier questions. We are interested in gendered insights here, but please do not limit to these insights as all are important.
25.In your experience, and from your service perspective, what are the most significant unseen or under-recognised impacts following disasters? (e.g. impacts that are not well understood, not captured in data, or emerge later in recovery)
26.Thinking of your service/organisation, What gaps exist in current disaster preparation, response or recovery systems? (e.g. gaps in safety, service access, coordination, or various types of support over time)
27.Based on your experience, what would make the biggest difference to improving outcomes following disasters? (e.g. changes to funding, service design, coordination, recognition, policy)
28.Have you observed any impacts emerging beyond 36 months?
(Please briefly describe)
SECTION 8: Follow-up
29.Would you be open to a short follow-up conversation?
30.Would you like to receive the summary findings?
31.If you selected yes to either of the above, please email Mel Osborne at m.osborne@gadaustralia.com.au or supply your email here. Note// supplying your email here means your survey will no longer be anonymous - but will still remain deidentified in survey collation.
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