Disaster recovery assistance has been made available to communities in the Shire of Ashburton following severe thunderstorms and flooding to Western Australia's Pilbara region in February.
Assistance will be provided through the jointly funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA), supporting local government, individuals and families through their recovery journey.
The storm brought heavy rainfall to the Pilbara on February 7, with parts of the region recording more than 100mm in 24 hours as localised flooding disrupted communities and motorists.
The multi-agency response to the disaster saw multiple roads closed, forcing motorists to travel via Paraburdoo or Newman to access Tom Price.
Minister for Emergency Management and National Recovery and Resilience, Senator the Hon Bridget McKenzie, said this assistance would provide the essential support needed by affected communities to clean up and get back to normal as quickly as possible.
"We know how important it is to provide early support for local councils to clean up, make communities safe again, and focus on road repairs, particularly in more remote areas. These roads are absolutely essential to community life," Minister McKenzie said.
Western Australian Minister for Emergency Services, the Hon Stephen Dawson MLC, praised the multi-agency response to keep Pilbara residents safe.
"Healthy road networks are essential to the liveability of regional towns, and this storm damaged critical public road assets," Minister Dawson said.
"The DRFA provides a range of assistance measures that will support the recovery of affected communities.''
Information on disaster assistance is available on the Australian Government's Disaster Assist website at disasterassist.gov.au
