Joint media release with The Hon Stephen Dawson MP
Disaster recovery assistance is now available to disaster-affected communities in Western Australia’s South West after a once-in-a-year storm tore through the region in August.
The City of Busselton and Shire of Augusta Margaret River will receive assistance through the jointly funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).
A series of cold fronts with associated gale-force winds and heavy rainfall passed through the South West between 1 and 3 August 2022, with peak wind gusts of up to 137km/h at Cape Leeuwin and up to 115km/h at Cape Naturaliste which damaged homes, roads and public infrastructure.
About 2000 homes across the region experienced power outages.
Federal Minister for Emergency Management, the Hon Senator Murray Watt, said the storm left local governments with a major clean-up operation.
“The support being announced today under the joint funding arrangements will enable the City of Busselton and Shire of Augusta Margaret River to rebuild and restore damaged public assets,” Minister Watt said.
“The winds from this storm were much stronger and longer lasting than a typical cold front, disrupting essential services across WA’s South West.
“Many people went without electricity for extended periods, while commuters had to take long detours when arterial roads were closed due to debris.
“I want to say a big thank you to the SES volunteers who coordinated and responded to requests for assistance, putting in hard work to help residents clean up their homes and get infrastructure back to a usable condition.
WA Minister for Emergency Services, the Hon Stephen Dawson, thanked all those involved in the coordinated multi-agency response that helped communities get back on their feet.
“Having a series of cold fronts hit the South West all at once was a significant challenge for our SES volunteers because there was basically no respite for them over the three days,” he said.
“In difficult circumstances, emergency services volunteers did an incredible job to keep Western Australians safe, working around the clock to clear debris and provide vital repairs to damaged homes.
“In addition, the local government areas have promptly undertaken considerable clean-up work to ensure roads are cleared of debris and to enable the region to get back to normal.
“The WA Government will now work alongside the Commonwealth to ensure disrupted communities are supported in their recovery journey.”
