Seroja recovery tour to maximise Mid-West momentum

Mid-West inland communities and farmers have been identified as priority groups by the Cyclone Seroja Recovery team for a week-long tour of face-to-face meetings with impacted community members next week.  

The tour will begin on 14 February and capitalise on a renewed focus from cyclone impacted home and business owners in recovery grant packages funded through the Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA). 

Cyclone Seroja State Recovery Controller Melissa Pexton said although it had been 10 months since the cyclone crossed the coast it wasn’t too late to reach out for support from a natural disaster.

“Experience from all over the world, and especially from the east coast with the ‘Black Summer’ bushfires, is that it’s very normal for a person’s physical and emotional capacity to recover to be delayed by significantly traumatic events,” Ms Pexton said.

“The focus of the tour is to offer communities grant and building experts to answer any questions they have and get their recovery started or moving along.

“We know that starting any new journey is daunting and the steps towards recovery can be confusing and frustrating. Our aim is to make the recovery path as open and as clear as possible for people who have been through a lot.” 

Ms Pexton said another goal of the tour, which would include representatives from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Legal Aid, Red Cross, Department of Communities, and Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage, was to meet with as many primary producers as possible.

She added that although there were about 1000 registered primary producers across the 16 local government areas impacted by Seroja, to date there had only been 40 applications for specific primary producer grants or assistance measures.

“The farming community has been busy with delivering the State’s record wheat and grain yields and we understand many cyclone-affected farmers put their personal recovery needs to one side as they focused on their harvest,” Ms Pexton said.

“We want to continue to engage with the farming community to see how they are going and provide assistance where they need it.”

The tour will commence on Monday 14 February and will travel to Mingenew, Morawa, Perenjori, Mullewa, Northampton and Nabawa.

Media Contact: DFES Media and Corporate Communications 9395 9543

Recovery Tour Details:

Mon 14 Feb - Mingenew

Mingenew Irwin Group Lodge

Drop-ins & appointments 10:45am to 3:00pm

Mon 14 Feb - Morawa

Morawa Oval Function Centre

Community meeting 5:30pm to 7:30pm

Tues 15 Feb - Morawa 

Morawa Oval Function Centre

Drop-ins & appointments 9:00am to 11:00am

Tues 15 Feb - Perenjori

Perenjori Sports Pavilion

Drop-ins & appointments 12:30pm to 4:00pm

Community meeting 5:30pm to 7:30pm

Wed 16 Feb - Morawa

Morawa Oval Function Centre

Appointments only 9:00am to 11:00am

Wed 16 Feb - Mullewa

Mullewa Sports Club

Drop-ins & appointments 1:00pm to 4:00pm

Community session (including footy club fundraiser) 5:00pm to 7:00pm

Thurs 17 Feb - Northampton

Northampton Community Centre
Drop-ins & appointments 10:00am to 1:00pm

Thurs 17 Feb - Nabawa 

Nabawa Community Centre

Drop-ins & appointments 2:30pm to 4:30pm

Community meeting 5:30pm to 7:30pm

Representatives from the following partner agencies will be in attendance:

• Department of Fire and Emergency Services
• Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
• Department of Communities
• Red Cross
• Legal Aid
• Salvation Army – MoneyStart Program
• Master Builders Association
• Local Governments
• Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage
• Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety
• Rural West
• Insurance Council Australia

Visit emergency.wa.gov.au/recovery to find out more about Cyclone Seroja recovery assistance.