Leader of The Nationals WA Shane Love has criticised the Emergency Services Minister for again failing to back the Shire of East Pilbara in its fight for urgent disaster recovery funding following Cyclone Zelia earlier this year.
Raising the matter in a Grievance Motion today, with Shire representatives watching on from the public gallery, Mr Love said the Minister’s dismissive response showed an Government out of touch with regional WA.
Mr Love raised the matter during a Grievance Motion in Parliament today, highlighting the concerns on behalf of Shire of East Pilbara representatives who viewed from the public gallery.
“Back in February, Cyclone Zelia tore through the East Pilbara, leaving behind more than $60 million dollars in damage to critical road networks across some of the most remote communities in Western Australia,” Mr Love said.
“Seven months on, these roads are not up to a standard that the Shire or the local community find acceptable. They remain below acceptable standards, leaving remote residents exposed and vulnerable when the next severe weather event arrives.
“The Shire of East Pilbara is not asking for anything extraordinary. They are only asking for what they are entitled to under the joint State-Federal DRFA scheme.”
Last month, the Shire wrote to the Minister, seeking his support to convene a roundtable with key stakeholders to resolve the seven-month funding impasse.
“Today in Parliament, the Minister again refused to support this roundtable, offered no clear path forward, and ignored the pleas of the Shire,” Mr Love said.
Shadow Minister for Emergency Services, Rob Horstman, said local governments had been raising concerns about the timeliness and accessibility of DRFA funding for years.
“Sadly, this is not an isolated case, with local governments like Yalgoo and Victoria Plains being left millions of dollars out of pocket due to difficulty accessing much-needed recovery funding in their communities,” Mr Horstman said.
“And Mid West communities understand all too well the challenges we saw in the aftermath of Cyclone Seroja, where the Government promised $104.5 million in recovery funding, but delivered less than a quarter, just $25 million.”
Mr Horstman said an Independent Review of Commonwealth Disaster Funding – known as the Colvin Review – completed last year had identified similar issues.
“The Colvin Review found the DRFA process as inequitable, overly complex, and a significant financial, if not existential, risk to smaller councils,” Mr Horstman said.
“Yet despite these warnings, the Minister has shown no empathy for struggling councils, no urgency in resolving delays, and no plan to get roads fixed before the next wet season hits.”
