More than $2.5 million has been awarded to a string of Western Australian projects that will further protect disaster-prone communities across the State.
Fifteen new projects that reduce the risk and impact of disasters such as bushfires and floods will be funded by the National Disaster Risk Reduction (NDRR) Grant Program.
A joint initiative between the Australian and Western Australian Governments, the NDRR Grant Program has now funded locally led projects to the tune of $12.5 million.
A range of local governments, volunteer groups and private businesses – stretching from Port Hedland to Boyup Brook – successfully applied for the latest round of funding to help make their communities more resilient.
Among them was Expression Australia, which was awarded $667,890 to lead a program that trains first responders to better communicate with the deaf and hard of hearing community during a disaster, while Marine Rescue Port Hedland received $250,000 to build new headquarters that will help boost response times in the State’s remote North West.
Federal Minister for Emergency Management Murray Watt said he was impressed by the number of quality projects that would make a real difference to the lives of Western Australians.
“Each of the latest applicants have thought long and hard about where the gaps are at a local level in terms of disaster preparedness and want to make improvements that will make people more prepared for the disasters ahead,” Minister Watt said.
“The Albanese Government is proud to work with the Cook Government backing innovative ideas and projects that work to protect vulnerable communities.
“We’re committed to helping all communities get better prepared for future disasters, because, unfortunately, due to climate change we’re seeing increasingly frequent and intense disaster events unfold right across the State. Through programs like these, communities will be ready to face future challenges.”
Western Australia’s Emergency Services Minister Stephen Dawson said another long and arduous summer where the full gambit of disasters threatened WA communities showed how important it was to keep building resilience.
“Learning and continuous improvement are core principles in emergency management,” he said.
“While we are proud of the progress in recent years, there’s always room for improvement to bolster our capability.
“These 15 projects will help shape Western Australia into a State prepared and ready to face any emergency that comes our way.”
More information on the NDRR Grant Program can be found at wa.gov.au/organisation/state-emergency-management-committee/apply-national-disaster-risk-reduction-ndrr-grant.
The WA NDRR Grant Program recipients for 2024-25 are:
Applicant | Grant | Project | Summary |
Shire of Victoria Plains | $91,137 | Forestry Mulcher and Skid Steer | The forestry mulcher and skid steer are required to implement mitigation responsibilities towards the environment, cultural protection, heritage sites, infrastructure and fire evacuation routes for the community in the event of an emergency. |
City of South Perth | $120,000 | Kwinana Freeway Foreshore Sediment Transport Model and Hybrid Option Design Refinement (KFF Sediment Modelling) | To protect the foreshore infrastructure and environment (Milyu Nature Reserve) from erosion, inundation, deterioration to flora/fauna, and reduce the risk to the operation of the freeway as a critical transport corridor. |
Shire of Carnarvon | $250,000 | Carnarvon Mobile Flood Barriers | To purchase and erect 1000m of 500mm high mobile flood barriers to strengthen the Boundary Road Levee to reduce the risk of a catastrophic breach which would result in flooding of Carnarvon airport, houses, key infrastructure and the North West Coastal Highway. |
Shire of Dardanup | $63,998 | Shire of Dardanup Alternative Power Supply in Emergencies | To purchase a generator as an alternative power supply for the Shire of Dardanup’s new Library, Administration and Community Building to mitigate the risk of extended electricity outages during an emergency. |
Shire of Toodyay | $156,437 | Risk reduction – Enhanced Fire and Flood evacuation and access for emergencies | To improve the Shire of Toodyay community safety by enhancing two vulnerable evacuation routes to link disconnected road networks, improve connectivity and provide added viable evacuation routes. |
Shire of Mundaring | $80,000 | Static Water Supplies Support Community Safety | Install three strategically positioned 60,000 litre static water tanks to enhance emergency response capabilities in the shire’s high-risk areas where mains water supply is not available or easily accessible. One tank will feature a mural created by a local artist, depicting a community preparedness message. |
St John Ambulance Western Australia Ltd. | $209,055 | Disaster Response Requiring Patient Transport | To develop a safe and effective transport capability for patients exposed to burns from natural disasters such as bushfires or chemical, hazardous material (HAZMAT) and/or biological exposure due to impact on critical infrastructure containing such materials following events such as earthquakes, cyclones, floods or storms. |
Shire of Murray | $50,000 | Community Bushfire Risk Reduction | Undertaking a bushfire risk analysis of major bushland areas in the Shire of Murray to identify suitable mitigation needs. This will be followed by the installation of identified mitigation treatments to reduce the risk to lives, properties and the environment. |
NBN Co Limited | $104,455 | Self-healing Broadband Network | Four Kimberley communities will have their broadband service dynamically rerouted to an alternate fibre route when the fibre is damaged. Broadband traffic from Broome, Derby, Halls Creek and Kununurra will be automatically re-routed via the inland fibre route, eliminating the risk of an outage due to natural disaster along the Pilbara coast. |
Shire of Boyup Brook | $22,545 | Building resilience and reducing risk of Boyup Brook community during bushfires, thunderstorms and floods | Purchase two LED display trailers to communicate critical messages to the community in real time prior to and during bushfires, thunderstorms and flooding events that Boyup Brook is prone to. |
Department of Fire and Emergency Services | $139,230 | Elevating Communication for Enhanced Engagement with Fire and Emergency Services Volunteers and Staff | The development and implementation of advanced internal communication tools to connect and communicate with all emergency services volunteers and DFES staff in WA to equip volunteers and DFES staff with timely and relevant operational and corporate information to help them keep all of WA safe. |
St John Ambulance Western Australia Ltd. | $171,493 | AIIMS (Australian Inter-Service Incident Management System) Training – Creating Careers and Volunteers | To deliver comprehensive Australian Inter-Service Incident Management System training to local Emergency Management Committees and volunteers both internal and external to SJWAA, and all local community Emergency Responders focusing on hazards resulting from climate change. |
Volunteer Marine Rescue Service Port Hedland | $250,000 | Marine Rescue Port Hedland Dilapidated Facility Replacement | Construct a new facility to enhance marine safety, preserve human life, increase community engagement, create volunteering opportunities and to attract more individuals to join emergency services. |
Department of Fire and Emergency Services | $135,000 | Disaster Resilience Education Project | To develop and implement school-based programs providing age-appropriate natural hazard awareness, community connectedness and stronger disaster resilience skills and strategies in students aged five years from regional communities impacted by natural hazards. |
Expression Australia | $667,890 | Auslan NDRR Program 2024 | Empowering the WA Deaf and hard of hearing community through disaster preparedness with tailored emergency information and training in Auslan. The training programs for first responders and volunteer SES teams will enable them to effectively collaborate with the WA Deaf and hard of hearing community during disasters. |
