Media Release: 20 March 2020
Disaster assistance has been made available to help communities from the Wheatbelt to the Perth Metropolitan area recover from the damage left behind by a series of severe thunderstorms that hit last month.
Between 24th and 28th February, Western Australia’s South West Land Division experienced daily thunderstorms, resulting in strong winds in excess of 80 kilometres an hour, and heavy rainfall.
The Shire’s of Dowerin, Mukinbudin and Trayning in the Wheatbelt and Town of Cambridge and Cities of Vincent and Belmont in Perth were heavily impacted with fallen trees and road damage.
Minister for Emergency Management David Littleproud and Western Australian Minister for Emergency Services Francis Logan announced today that assistance is being provided through the jointly funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.
“Assistance is being provided through the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements. This assistance is available in the Town of Cambridge, the Cities of Vincent, Belmont, the Shires of Dowerin, Mukinbudin and Trayning to help with clean-up operations and to restore damaged essential public assets including roads and road infrastructure,” Minister Littleproud said.
“Five consecutive days of thunderstorm activity in February wreaked havoc across the southern half of Western Australia, with 34 millimetres of rainfall recorded in Perth, which is 2.5 times the monthly average.
“We are standing shoulder-to-shoulder with these communities to help them get back on their feet as quickly as possible.”
Minister Logan said the severe weather event on 25 February was the biggest storm to hit Perth since the hail storm of March 2010.
“State Emergency Service volunteers attended more than 280 requests for assistance across WA from members of the public relating to heavy rain and strong winds including downed trees and flying debris, as well as structural and water damage.
“This assistance will help get the Town of Cambridge and the Cities of Vincent and Belmont and the Shires of Dowerin, Mukinbudin and Trayning back to business sooner with the clean-up and repairs costs covered by the State and Federal Governments.
“We will work with our counterparts in Canberra to continue to monitor the impacts of these storms and are ready to extend disaster assistance to other communities in need.”
Information on disaster assistance is available on the Australian Government’s Disaster Assist website at disasterassist.gov.au
