Media Release 27 March 2020
Disaster assistance has been made available to help communities in the Kimberley recover from flooding associated with ex-Tropical Cyclone Esther.
The assistance, which is now available for the Shires of Wyndham-East Kimberley and Derby-West Kimberley, is being provided through the jointly funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.
Federal Minister for Emergency Management David Littleproud said the force of the Tropical Low was significant across the Kimberley with almost 300 millimetres of rainfall recorded in Kununurra alone over a 48-hour period.
“This funding will ease the financial burden on local governments as they work to undertake temporary repairs and permanent restoration to their road network,” Minister Littleproud said
Western Australian Minister for Emergency Services Francis Logan said emergency services worked for more than a week to assist Kimberley communities impacted by ex-Tropical Cyclone Esther.
“Emergency services personnel were deployed to help isolated communities by carrying out medical evacuations and resupplies of food and medicine,” Minister Logan said.
“Aerial reconnaissance missions were also conducted to monitor floodwaters, road conditions and community access.
“This financial leg up will greatly assist those impacted communities in the North West with their recovery efforts, particularly the repairs to their expansive and important road networks.”
The Commonwealth and Western Australian governments will continue to monitor the impacts of ex-Tropical Cyclone Esther and are ready to extend disaster assistance to communities in need.
Information on disaster assistance is available on the Australian Government’s Disaster Assist website at disasterassist.gov.au
