Shires of Wagin and West Arthur secure firefighting water supplies via $69,582 State Government grants

Two Wheatbelt shires at the centre of a bushfire that burnt 11,000ha in January have been successful in securing State Government funding to strengthen their water supplies for future firefighting efforts.

The shires of Wagin and West Arthur were two of the 13 successful recipients to share in nearly $1 million through the Community Water Supplies Partnership program.

Wagin acquired $43,555 for two emergency water tanks to support its volunteer bushfire brigade and public amenities.

A 110,000L tank is being installed in Woojikarup, where the January 24 bushfire destroyed three homes and killed hundreds of livestock, and a 367,000L tank will go to the Woolorama showground.

Shire of Wagin chief executive Kenneth Parker said fireys relied on private farming dams when fighting the horror blaze as there was no secure water source in the Woojikarup area.

“A key part in a fire response is being able to get water for our bushfire volunteers as soon as possible, as the first moments in dealing with a bushfire is absolutely critical,” he said.

“If you’ve got water on site that doesn’t need to be transported as far, then it enables our firefighters to do their amazing work in terms of extinguishing those fires or bringing them under control.”

The Woolorama tank will be the second on the showground, expanding the site’s water capacity.

Mr Parker said the presence of another tank means it can be used in non-emergency purposes, such as road works.

This installation follows the implementation of Wagin’s recent transportable water tanker — transformed from a refurbished former fuel tank — and airstrip upgrades for aerial support access, which were completed on Friday.

The Shire of West Arthur was granted $26,027 for three water tanks connecting to the main shire building, Darkan Pioneer Hall and Darkan Town Hall to be used for irrigation and a backup supply for its volunteer bushfire brigades.

The shire also received $59,338 to install swipe cards on its three standpipes to monitor water usage.

Shire community developer officer Sharon Bell said the shire are prioritising saving water as they enter a drier climate, especially “valuable scheme water”, and the swipe cards are intended to stop the theft of water following several incidents.

“We have people coming over and taking water without recording it, so this enables us to track how much water is used and by who,” she said.

She said they are looking to expand the system in the future to ensure longevity for the shire’s secure water supply.