Disaster assistance has been made available to help communities in the Shire of Wiluna recover from damage caused by thunderstorms and severe flooding earlier this year.
Assistance is now being provided through the jointly funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).
Minister for Emergency Management David Littleproud said that the impacts from the slow moving trough caused widespread flooding in the northern Goldfields are still being felt by the community.
"The severe thunderstorms and floods that occurred back in February had a significant impact on the local community, cutting off access for many residents in the Shire of Wiluna," Minister Littleproud said.
"The rapidly rising floodwaters, which forced the closure of Goldfields Highway and disrupted local road networks, are still fresh in the minds of those people living in the area.
"Financial assistance, through the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements, is now available for the local community to help with clean-up operations and to restore damaged roads and infrastructure."
Western Australian Minister for Emergency Services Reece Whitby said the heavy rainfall and floodwaters had also impacted several pastoral properties in the region and providing assistance through the DRFA would be an important mechanism to help the industry get back on its feet.
"A number of pastoral stations in the local area requested assistance and access to a local business was restricted due to the widespread flooding in the area," Minister Whitby said.
"This funding will enable the local government to restore local road networks, which will be critical for affected communities as they recover from the effects of this extreme weather event.
"I would like to thank the local community and the Shire of Wiluna for their considered actions and for their patience as local conditions return to normal."
Information on disaster assistance is available on the Australian Government's Disaster Assist website at http://www.disasterassist.gov.au
