- 27 local governments to receive bushfire mitigation funding
- More than 600 mitigation activities to boost preparedness ahead of summer
- Nearly $57 million allocated since mitigation grants program started in 2017
The Cook Government is investing $4 million into helping twenty-seven local governments across Western Australia prepare for the bushfire season.
Emergency Services Minister Stephen Dawson welcomed the first round of grants in the 2024-25 Mitigation Activity Fund (MAF) program, saying it was an important measure to reduce bushfire risk and protect local communities.
The funding will be used to conduct 635 mitigation activities in high bushfire-risk areas on State-owned land managed by local government.
Mitigation activities include mechanical treatments to reduce fuel levels, the creation of firebreaks and planned burns.
The shires of Carnarvon and Shark Bay will receive funding for the first time.
Funding is available to local governments with a Bushfire Risk Management Plan endorsed by the Department of Fire and Emergency Services.
Applications for the next round of the MAF grants program are expected to open in August.
As stated by Emergency Services Minister Stephen Dawson:
"Everyone has a role to play in reducing bushfire risk. It's more important than ever that local governments have the support that empowers them to protect their communities.
"With a changing climate, bushfire seasons are running longer and fire conditions are becoming more challenging.
"The Cook Government is investing an additional $140 million into equipping our first responders to fight fires, and we're trying to make their jobs a little easier with this mitigation program.
"There were more than 5000 bushfires that were reported statewide over the last season, burning out more than 9.5 million hectares - a significant increase on the 4017 fires and more than 2.8 million hectares impacted in the same time frame in 2022-23.
"Since 2017, the State Government has dispersed nearly $57 million to 72 local governments to conduct nearly 7500 mitigation treatments."
Local governments and residents can visit https://www.dfes.wa.gov.au for more information.
MITIGATION ACTIVITY FUND GRANTS PROGRAM
2024/25 ROUND 1 ALLOCATION
Local Government |
Number of treatments |
Allocated amount |
Albany |
156 |
$310,350.00 |
Augusta Margaret River |
11 |
$116,000.00 |
Boddington |
6 |
$85,077.00 |
Boyup Brook |
18 |
$92,545.00 |
Bridgetown-Greenbushes |
1 |
$12,983.00 |
Brookton |
37 |
$350,150.00 |
Bunbury |
44 |
$175,956.72 |
Busselton |
26 |
$290,500.00 |
Carnarvon |
10 |
$202,050.00 |
Cockburn |
16 |
$53,670.00 |
Corrigin |
13 |
$141,170.00 |
Cuballing |
22 |
$182,400.00 |
Dardanup |
27 |
$242,350.00 |
Esperance |
48 |
$329,800.00 |
Goomalling |
11 |
$82,863.00 |
Harvey |
9 |
$54,785.00 |
Manjimup |
48 |
$172,300.00 |
Mundaring |
16 |
$327,500.00 |
Northam |
15 |
$123,790.00 |
Pingelly |
66 |
$292,397.00 |
Rockingham |
3 |
$14,900.00 |
Serpentine-Jarrahdale |
3 |
$69,218.72 |
Shark Bay |
10 |
$52,800.00 |
Swan |
2 |
$60,075.18 |
Wandering |
7 |
$23,232.00 |
Waroona |
6 |
$20,710.50 |
West Arthur |
4 |
$129,600.00 |
Grand Total |
635 |
$4,009,173.12 |
