Emergency kit checklist for Australia: what official sources say to pack

Australia has no single national emergency kit list. Advice comes from state emergency services, state governments and Australian Red Cross, and the lists differ in the details. This guide sets out what each official source actually says, works out the water for two-person and four-person homes, and is honest about where cash and gold fit. We read every source below on 29 October 2026.

What is on the official Australian emergency kit list?

The most detailed public list comes from Get Ready Queensland, the Queensland Government's preparedness program. The table covers its full checklist. Where it gives no number, we say so rather than invent one, and we have not added prices because no official source publishes any.

Source: Get Ready Queensland Emergency Kit checklist. The checklist says some items should be stored in a waterproof box or bag, and that medicines with a short shelf life or needing refrigeration should be ready to add when warnings are issued.

How do the state and Red Cross lists differ?

The core items are the same everywhere: water, food, a torch, a radio, a first aid kit, medication, documents and cash. The differences are mostly about quantities and how long to plan for.

Sources: Get Ready Queensland checklist; NSW SES Emergency Kit Checklist; Australian Red Cross Get packing checklist (2025); NSW Health emergency pantry list.

NSW SES also lists an emergency plan and contact list, local maps for road closures, spare keys, candles and matches, a whistle and protective equipment. Australian Red Cross splits its list into survival items and recovery items, such as photos of valuables for insurance claims and comfort items for children.

How much water do you need?

Water is the item people skimp on most because it is heavy and dull to buy. The table uses the two official figures: Get Ready Queensland's minimum of 10 litres per person for three days, and NSW Health's 3 litres per person per day for a 14-day stay at home.

Our arithmetic from the official rates. Get Ready Queensland calls 10 litres per person a minimum. Add water for pets.

How do you plan the food?

Every list asks for non-perishable food, and the Queensland and Red Cross lists set three days as the target. The practical way to plan is per meal: three days for a family of four is 36 meals, so count how many tins, packets and snacks that really takes. Choose food your household already eats so stock gets used and replaced.

• Keep a can opener with the food. Every list includes one.
• Think about cooking. Get Ready Queensland includes a gas powered stove with a spare canister.
• Remember babies and pets. Formula, nappies and wipes for at least three days, and pet food and water.
• Build it slowly. NSW Health suggests adding more each time you shop and checking expiry dates regularly.

Why do the lists include cash?

Because when the power or the network goes down, cards and phones stop working. Get Ready Queensland lists spare cash "in case payment systems are down". NSW SES says cash because "ATMs & EFTPOS may not work". Australian Red Cross says money is always needed even if ATMs or banks are closed. The Queensland Government's kit page says spare cash in case ATMs or the internet are not working.

No official source sets an amount. Our guide to how much cash to keep at home works out a realistic figure from ABS household spending data and explains the insurance limits on cash.

What do the warning levels mean?

Australia uses one national system for bushfire, flood, storm, cyclone and extreme heat warnings. The Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience describes three levels:

• Advice: an incident has started. There is no immediate danger. Stay up to date in case the situation changes.
• Watch and Act: conditions are changing and you need to start taking action now to protect yourself and your family.
• Emergency Warning: the highest level. You may be in danger and need to take action immediately.

Keep your radio, power bank and kit ready so you can act at the first level, not the last. For help in floods and storms, NSW SES lists 132 500; in a life-threatening emergency call Triple Zero (000).

Home kit or evacuation kit: what is the difference?

The Queensland Government says to have supplies to stay at home for three days, even without power, and to take what you need if you have to evacuate. NSW SES groups some items under "to help you leave quickly", and Australian Red Cross calls its version a Survive and Recover Kit.

Our summary of the Queensland Government, NSW SES and Red Cross lists. Red Cross also offers a free household emergency plan, RediPlan, and the Get Prepared app.

How do you keep the kit up to date?

Get Ready Queensland says to attach the checklist to the top of the box and review the contents at least twice a year. Australian Red Cross says to keep the kit somewhere easy to find, tell your family where it is, and check and update it every year. The start of the bushfire or cyclone season is a sensible reminder.

Where does gold fit, beyond the first three days?

Briefly: not in your emergency kit. Gold is a poor emergency currency. Shops do not price groceries in grams, a 1oz Kangaroo is worth thousands of dollars and cannot be split to give change, and bullion dealers may be closed or offline in a disaster. Every official list we read includes cash, not gold.

There is also an insurance catch. RACV's home insurance PDS limits cash to A$200 in total, and groups sovereigns and bullion with collections, capped at A$2,500 in total unless you increase cover. Policies differ, so check yours before keeping cash or gold at home.

Where some people do use gold is as a long-term store of value outside the banking system, a separate decision from three days of supplies. Physical gold is not covered by the government's Financial Claims Scheme, its price can fall, and it pays no interest. Read whether gold is a safe haven for how it behaved in past crises in Australian dollars, and our gold storage guide for where to keep it. For the bigger picture, see our prepping guide for Australia and what happens if an Australian bank fails. For buying gold, start at our Australian gold hub.

Not financial advice. GoldVetted provides general information to help you compare options. It is not personal financial, tax or legal advice. Gold prices go down as well as up, and you may get back less than you pay. Check tax rules with the official source or a qualified adviser before you act.