Bushfire Aerial Maps Help Red Cross Support Recovery

In 2019 and 2020, severe bushfires impacted Australia, burning more than 17M hectares and destroying more than 3,000 homes. Australian Red Cross set out to assist those affected when support was most critical.

The Challenge at a Glance

Streamlining Funds Allocation

Suffering from bushfire-related hardship, the Australian Red Cross offered grants of up to $70,000 to those hit the hardest. The organisation needed a way to streamline how funds could be allocated to people in need — as some applications lacked information needed to verify those in legitimate need.

Aerial images of before and after bushfire damage in New South Wales

Feb 2020 | Mogo, NSW AU

High resolution aerial maps of bushfire recovery

Feb 2020 | Buchan, VIC AU

The Solution at a Glance

High Resolution Visual Clarification

Using Nearmap high-resolution aerial imagery that was captured within days of a bushfire, Australian Red Cross could assess whether damage was a factor present to help progress incomplete applications.

Business Impact

Keeping Grants Moving

Through their bushfire grant program, Red Cross Australia was able to verify and provide grants to nearly 6,000 people, distributing over $200M in financial aid. Accurate, contextual aerial maps allowed Australian Red Cross to provide bushfire-affected communities vital resources when physical inspections were limited.