OMG!!! Congratulations! I don't know about bond loans or rent assistance, sorry. But I do think hanging on to a savings float is a pretty good idea.

On property reports, make sure you get a copy and you agree with everything on it. On ours for the current place, there is no room to write extra stuff, the RE went into so much detail. But it's an old and shabby place. Anyway, sometimes you can ask to come in and do the property report a week or so after you have the keys. I know that living here, it was 2 months before I noticed a hole in one of the windows. One other dodge-o real estate let us keep the property report (sole copy) for two years! It was like a guaranteed bond back, so we didn't remind them

Put the word out among family and friends etc that you're moving out - see what hand-me-down items you can get. Start out with a bit of second hand stuff, then you can update bit by bit down the track, so that you don't have a big outlay on "stuff" at the beginning. (I'm already mentally running through what I have!)

BC's in NSW, for reference.