Shire grapples with $60m repair bill after cyclone Zelia

Seven months after cyclone Zelia tore through the East Pilbara, more than 20 roads remain impacted, with a $60 million repair bill left hanging over the shire.

Nationals WA leader Shane Love has accused Emergency Services Minister Paul Papalia of abandoning the region, claiming the State Government has failed to act on urgent calls for co-ordinated recovery support.

In Parliament, Mr Love said the shire had repeatedly called for an urgent roundtable with key stakeholders — including the Department of Fire and Emergency Services, Main Roads, the National Emergency Management Agency and the State Government.

“Cyclone Zelia tore through the East Pilbara in February, leaving behind more than $60m in damage to vital road networks across some of the most remote communities in Western Australia,” Mr Love said.

“Six months on, too many of those roads remain closed or barely passable, cutting off Aboriginal communities, disrupting supply chains and leaving the region dangerously exposed to the next severe weather event.

“When pressed in question time, the minister dismissed the issue out of hand, shrugging his shoulders and saying ‘probably not’ when asked if he would help the shire co-ordinate a roundtable. That’s not leadership, it’s negligence.”

Responding to Mr Love’s grievance in Parliament, Mr Papalia said the response of “probably not” was in relation to convening a roundtable, but he was committed to helping the shire and communities impacted by the natural disaster.

“Of course, I will help the council and my agency will continue to do their job in helping the council, but convening a roundtable, I’m not of the view that that achieves anything beyond what is currently the process,” he said.

“I know DFES is working hard on the recovery efforts and to communicate the requirements of the Federal disaster recovery funding arrangements to ensure they are clear, well-understood and are consistently applied.

“There is also an obligation on local governments to ensure these requirements are met.”

Shire of East Pilbara president Cr Anthony Middleton said the situation was untenable and not feasible for the local council.

“With wet season fast approaching again we are eager to ensure that funding can be confirmed, and we can have the necessary work completed,” he said.

“We are calling for an urgent roundtable meeting to discuss the matter with all levels of government, to review the system in order to give certainty for the emergency response.”

Under the disaster recovery funding arrangements, local governments must pay for recovery works upfront and then apply for reimbursement — a process described in the Colvin Review as overly complex and financially risky for smaller councils.

Cr Middleton said the shire was working with DFES and Main Roads WA to have funding requests assessed before works begin, to ensure the community is not left to front the cost.

The shire is now calling on the Federal Government to urgently implement the Colvin Review’s recommendations, which include simplifying the process, equitable access for regional councils with limited rate bases and embedding resilience measures, such as drainage, into all recovery works.

Roads that remain closed in the East Pilbara:

• Hillside–Woodstock Road

• Punmu Road

• Shay Gap Road

• Skull Springs Road (from the airport)

• Eastern Creek Road

• Munjina–Roy Hill Road (from the end of the bitumen to Marble Bar Road)

• Goldsworthy Road (north from the community)

• Skull Springs Road (Eastern Creek Rd to Woodie Woodie Road)

• Hillside Bonny Downs Road