Primary industries natural disaster damage assessment (PiNDDA)

The primary industries natural disaster damage assessment (PiNDDA) survey is a simple online survey which farmers, NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) and Local Land Services (LLS) staff, and agricultural industry representatives can use to record damage to primary production and animals from natural disasters such as floods, fires and storms.

The PiNDDA survey allows landholders to:

• complete a simple survey identifying the number of crops, animals, infrastructure and other primary industries damaged in a single event
• add photos to the assessment
• see the severity of damage in the area.

DPIRD can view survey information in real time and results are used to determine:

• the area the natural disaster has impacted and the scale of the event
• the severity of the impact
• the value of damage to primary production sectors and enterprises
• where and what assistance or resources may be needed.

This source of “ground truth” information helps the Government and communities understand the scale and regional distribution of the impact of a disaster on agriculture and target resources and assistance in an area.

To report damage, use this link www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/damagesurvey on your phone or computer to submit a survey. It’s free and takes just a few minutes to complete.

Submit a survey PiNDDA reports

Making a report on your property with the survey is short and simple. To make a new report:

1. Open this link www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/damagesurvey on your smartphone or computer. If you cannot see all details on your phone or computer you may be using an old operating system or browser and will need to upgrade to complete the survey
2. Fill in the survey as prompted. Only values marked with an asterix are mandatory. The icon next to the question provides guidance on what to enter.
   • Providing your Property Identification Code (PIC) and contact details allows us to contact you directly if we need to confirm your property and damage data.
   • DPIRD or LLS staff members or industry representatives may need to enter a code to differentiate data from different sources. Farmers do not need to enter a code.
   • Select the type of event you are reporting and the date it occurred - if over multiple days, enter the first date it happened. This allows us to allocate your data to the correct event.
   • Enter the address of the property where the damage occurred. This allows us to assess damage to a certain LGA or area. Enter the nearest locality, town, feature or neighbouring property if your address is not available.
   • Select all the categories in which your farm has received damage. This will open further questions under each section. You can return here at any time to add categories.
   • Follow the prompts to answer relevant questions. Estimate numbers, areas and values - exact figures are not essential. Use metric numbers i.e. hectares not acres etc.
   • If your enterprise is not listed, please use the “other” categories to enter the enterprise, how many or how much is destroyed and an estimate of what it is worth.
   • For particularly valuable animals e.g. racehorses, use the “other” category as the survey uses average long-term data to calculate damage value.
   • You may choose to add photos to your report. They aren’t essential but help build a picture of damage that has occurred and may be used by DPIRD when providing damage reports for individual events.
   • Submit the report. The report can’t be edited once submitted. Before submission you can come back and edit your report. You can email yourself a copy of the report.
3. A summary of damage reports in each LGA will be available on the DPIRD website. Filter by event, date and LGA to see the damage for the particular event you are interested in.

When does the survey open for natural disasters?

The survey is live and accepts surveys at any time.

How long will the survey remain open for?

The survey is always open to submit a damage report and agencies track the data in real time. After each emergency, a summary primary industries report is submitted by DPIRD - the timeframe will vary after each emergency. There will be ample time after the emergency to gather data and the report will be submitted after reporting slows.

What sort of data do I need?

You will need estimates of the damage to your enterprises. Examples include areas of crop, kilometres of fencing, and numbers of animals deceased. Specialised equipment and infrastructure may need an estimate of damage cost. Precise figures are not needed for this survey.

Please wait until it is safe to assess your damage.

Is there someone who can help me fill in the survey?

Yes, you can visit or ring your local LLS office on 1300 795 299 and they can talk you through the survey and/or complete it on your behalf. You can also ask a DPIRD development officer for your industry for assistance e.g. a horticultural development officer.

Can I see my individual survey information?

Choosing to enter your email will allow a copy of your report to be sent to you for your records after submission.  Individual reports cannot be seen by the public.

Can I enter a survey when out of mobile range?

You need to open the survey before you go out of range. You can fill it in out of range and then submit it once you are back in range.

Can I update the damage report I put in and use the survey to record and track other information?

No, please submit an additional report with the extra damage if you find new damage. The survey only collects information on a one-off basis and cannot track additional data.

Can my information be seen by others?

The information collected for individual properties is not available for members of the public to see or search. DPIRD may use the information to target resources and assistance in an area. The information is not used to determine individual eligibility for assistance but may be used to provide context when assessing your claim or recovery needs.

How is my information used and who can see it?

Public users cannot see individual property information. DPIRD or LLS staff can only use the information for assisting the community in or after emergencies and are bound by government confidentiality policies. DPIRD or LLS staff may contact individuals to clarify, validate or narrow down damage if required for natural disaster declarations or to determine if assistance is required. The information is not used to determine individual eligibility for assistance but may be used to provide context when assessing your claim or recovery needs.

Does the information collected determine if my area gets more or less government funding?

The data collected by the survey is the main source of information used to develop a primary industries assessment for each Local Government Area (LGA), which is submitted to the NSW Reconstruction Authority, with other community and infrastructure damage, to be assessed against a number of criteria when determining if an area will receive disaster funding.

Are the results of the survey available publicly?

Yes, DPIRD publishes LGA level summaries on their website. Filter by event, date and LGA to see the damage for the particular event you are interested in.

Detailed reports of enterprise damage at an LGA level are only available to DPIRD and recovery agencies and services to guide decision making about appropriate assistance in an LGA.

Does the survey collect information about drought or non-agricultural damage?

DPIRD only collates damage to primary industries. Damage to houses, non-farm businesses and public infrastructure is collated by other emergency agencies and local council.

The data collected by the Primary industries natural disaster damage assessment (PiNDDA) surveys are analysed and results are available for use for recovery purposes. Data is refreshed hourly during business hours.

View the PiNDDA reports

Wellbeing Services

Maintaining positive mental health can play an important role in individual, business and community resilience and recovery, so it’s important to look after your social and mental wellbeing.