Tensions boil in flood-hit town amid supplies crisis
Food shortages, alcohol bans and a spike in crime have resulted in residents across WA’s Kimberley region venting their frustrations online.
Despite the immediate danger of massive flooding having passed, residents in the country’s northwest continue to struggle with supplies.
The communities of Broome, Derby and Fitzroy Crossing are still reeling from the knock-on effects of ex-tropical cyclone Ellie, which brought heavy rain and major flooding to Western Australia’s central and west Kimberley regions in early January.
The inundation washed away huge chunks of the Great Northern Highway, a vital link between towns, causing transportation headaches and interrupting the flow of supplies.
Residents, already struggling with damaged property and disrupted lives, have taken to social media to vent their frustrations.
Maita Sherrin-Angouin is one such resident. She manages a roadhouse and has used TikTok to describe how “they’re having a very hard time getting food into Derby”.
“We get deliveries from the air force, which stocks the shelves at Woolworths, and in a couple of days it’s gone,” sMs Sherrin-Angouin said.
“Then we have to wait a couple more days before food comes in; we have no idea when we’re getting gas; we currently have alcohol restrictions … so no one can buy any takeaway alcohol … and there’s a shortage of cigarettes.
“So you add something like 200 evacuees to a small town that’s already struggling – it’s going to cause a bit of mayhem.
“And I have no idea who the f**k is in control of all this, but Australia … has completely forgot about the Kimberleys [sic] and about Derby and has left us on our own to figure it out for ourselves.
“It’s a lot of f****g pressure,” said Ms Sherrin-Angouin, questioning why food drops and fuel are taking so long to reach them.
Ms Sherrin-Angouin also used her TikTok account to post a video of a trip to the local Woolworths, where shelves can be seen mostly bare, devoid of any fresh meat, fruit or vegetables.
Among the slim pickings which can be seen available are packets of instant noodles.
The local government has also warned people against panic buying.
“Please don’t buy too much when you go to shop for your food and house things,” said the Shire of Derby-West Kimberley in an update on Monday.
“Some people have been buying too much, and there’s nothing left for other people.”
It follows a post on their Facebook page on Saturday, with the council urging “we can’t stress enough – you should only buy what you and your family need.
“We understand it’s a stressful time and having extra stock seems like a helpful thing in the long term, but in the short term it can be harmful to other people in your community.”
Repairs continue to be carried out on major roads, but it’s slow going, with Main Roads WA crews building gravel roads to allow vehicles to pass sections of the Great Northern Highway which have been washed away.
Supplies have instead been delivered to Broome and Derby via barges from the sea.
The state’s Department of Fire and Emergency Services said large-scale resupplies continue to take place daily by air and road where possible.
The influx of evacuees into Derby prompted a week-long ban on takeaway alcohol, but that’s now been extended to the end of January.
Only one pub in town has been able to serve alcohol, which had been limited to cans of beer poured into a glass due to shortages.
A spate of crime has also been a catalyst for the ban.
Calling all Derby Facebook Investigators. Please see footage from a Burglary where Cigarettes were stolen at Derby Fuels on 16 January 2023. If you recognise the people involved or have any information about this offence, let us know. Report number 160123 0448 88909 refers. #fbpic.twitter.com/vkQhOdxkyn
— Derby Police (@DerbyPol) January 23, 2023
Good evening Derby. Do you recognise the person in this footage? We are keen to catch up with them if you do! You can quote IR 130123 0935 14132 when you call up. #fbpic.twitter.com/KgQIUA01OF
— Derby Police (@DerbyPol) January 17, 2023
Derby Police used their Twitter account to post security camera footage of a break-in at a local service station on January 16, in which cigarettes were stolen.
Another post from January 17 shows a man stealing from what appears to be the outdoor patio of a private residence.
Karen Rule, who owns and operates a fitness studio in Derby, took to Facebook to slam the McGowan government’s $6m flood recovery package, aimed at the tourism industry.
“Please explain how discounted flights to Broome are going to Help The Kimberley?” asked Ms Rule in her post, tagging the account of WA Tourism Minister Roger Cook.
“Businesses in Derby town NEED to get freight/supplies/stock onto our shelves, in our shed, into our workshops, so we can keep working, keep grinding away! But NO, you give a $6m discount to people who were coming anyway, instead of keeping our town working/employed.”
Meanwhile, residents will also be bracing for another bad turn in weather conditions heading into the weekend.
A tropical low in the Arafura Sea, north of the NT, is expected to move westwards over the coming days into waters north of WA. This system could strengthen into a tropical cyclone by the end of the week, though there are still significant uncertainties: https://t.co/zqRixWTjgmpic.twitter.com/SCS8Bm09PA
— Bureau of Meteorology, Western Australia (@BOM_WA) January 23, 2023
“A weak tropical low is expected to move west into the region from the Timor Sea on Wednesday and then turn south towards the Pilbara or west Kimberley coast on Thursday,” said a Tropical Cyclone Outlook report from the Bureau of Meteorology, released late on Monday.
The system is expected to remain weak as it crosses the Pilbara over the weekend, but there is still a moderate chance it could develop into a tropical cyclone over Friday and Saturday.
“Moderate chance,” according to the Bureau, is anywhere between 20-50 per cent.
Bad weather during the worst of the flooding prevented aircraft from landing at regional airports, and strong winds meant helicopters were delayed in bringing in vital supplies.
A Community Information Centre is open at the Broome Civic Centre in Sammy Hall, 27 Weld St from 10am to 4pm daily.
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