How WA's flood rebuilding efforts could be stymied by a stretched construction sector
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More residents displaced by Western Australia's worst-ever floods have been able to return home, while others are anxiously waiting to assess the damage to their homes.
WA's emergency services minister Stephen Dawson provided an update on Thursday afternoon about people who had been able to return to their properties, while officials work around-the-clock to get others back into their communities as soon as possible.
Mr Dawson said nearly 40 people had been successfully relocated back to Pandanas Park in the Kimberley, while 21 are expected to return to the Muludja community today.
More than 100 people evacuated from other communities remain in Derby and 28 in Broome.
Mr Dawson said more than 300 rapid damage assessments have been completed, which will help determine how many homes have been damaged and what repairs are needed.
"Because the rapid damage assessments have taken place, we can now work out whether we need plumbers or indeed electricians to go into those houses and do the required work before we can move [more] people back to their homes," he said.
"We understand people are anxious to understand how the flood has affected their homes and to start the clean-up process, but we are asking for patience once again and to wait for the Department of Communities to give them the all clear.
"It may be unsafe to return home permanently for some time while we clean up debris and repair damage to make the area safe again."
Western Australia's overheated construction market is looming as a major challenge facing both Kimberley locals and the state government as the rebuild of flood-damaged communities begins in earnest.
An army of skilled trades workers will be required to assess the safety and liveability of the 130 state-owned properties in Fitzroy Crossing and nearby Aboriginal communities.
Sourcing electricians looms as a key priority, with flooding and water damage creating dangerous electrical hazards across many properties.
Housing Minister John Carey said additional tradesmen were being sourced but existing circumstances were challenging.
"The current heated construction market, getting freight in and the fact that it's northern Australia [make it difficult]," Mr Carey said.
"I'm not listing those as excuses, but I don't want to sugar-coat the challenge that lies ahead in terms of both housing and road construction."
Housing the tradespeople, returning locals, health staff and other critical service workers is another key problem that needs to be addressed.
Mr Carey said all options were on the table, including the use of modular housing already rolled out in the state's south.
The wait to return home continues for Kimberley residents such as Tyrone Walter Hand, who feared he and his young son would drown as rising floodwaters inundated their house.
Emergency shipments of food continued to make their way to affected towns on Thursday.
Mr Dawson said nearly 9,000 kilograms of food has been flown into Fitzroy Crossing so far, with another significant delivery set to arrive in Derby today.
"We're flying in 20 pallets of general groceries, 15 pallets of chilled goods [and] 25 pallets of refrigerated and frozen goods and this food will be delivered to Derby Woolworths, to local businesses, the prison and health and medical facilities in Derby," he said.
Meanwhile, a barge carrying five trailers comprising close to 110,000 kilograms of food has arrived in Broome.
Residents in Derby are facing the prospect of being cut off by road for more than a month as the final floodwaters begin to recede.
While much of the focus has been on damage to the main bridge at Fitzroy Crossing, the impact on Great Northern Highway between Broome and Derby looms as an equally critical logistical challenge.
An aerial assessment by Main Roads crews on Thursday revealed significant damage to 10 kilometres of the highway west of the Fitzroy River crossing at Willare, where floodwaters peaked earlier this week.
While Willare Bridge and three minor bridges are intact, three kilometres of highway has been completely washed away and a further two kilometres seriously damaged.
Once access is possible, Main Roads will construct a side track to act as a replacement route, a process unlikely to be completed until mid-to-late February.
Further wet weather and rain events could delay repairs even further.
While supplies have begun arriving in Broome via barge and Fitzroy Crossing by air, Mr Carey says there are no quick solutions.
Engineering teams spent much of Wednesday inspecting the Fitzroy Crossing Bridge, with a temporary extension and an alternate crossing further up river being canvassed as options.
"Both those options will still take significant time. A temporary structure will still need significant work to make it safe and secure," Mr Carey said.
"We're hearing commentary there's a quicker solution and an easier solution. There's not."
"What [the bridge] means to the Fitzroy Crossing community, I get that. But it would be dishonest of me to name a time frame."
Damage to the crossing at Willare, between Derby and Broome, is unlikely to be assessed for at least six to 10 days until floodwaters recede.
It is expected to be another seven days before standard passenger vehicles can safely traverse Great Northern Highway into Broome.
Asked about freight subsidies for businesses and residents in the East Kimberley, now completely cut off from their major supply route, Mr Carey was noncommittal.
"The premier and prime minister announced a larger package, the state and federal governments are still working out key details," he said.
Derby auto-electrical business owner Darren Lee-James has sold out of crucial items such as batteries and alternators.
He normally re-supplies using road freight from Perth and said any additional expense from using airfreight or a sea barge would be passed onto customers.
"We don't have a freight service at the moment, so stock will become an issue. Things like car batteries, you sell [on a] daily basis," he said.
"Without parts, I can't make repairs to vehicles. Trying to get some things in can be a very roundabout process. The end user, being the customer, has to bear the brunt of that."
Bunuba elder Mary Aiken said repairing the town's sewerage and drainage networks needed to be a priority.
"At the moment [the sewerage] is busted near the bridge, the big pond is overflowing and everything that's going through that pipe is now leaking into the river," she said.
Living at the old mission on Forrest Road, she said her home had lost power but had escaped damage from floodwaters.
But a lot of her neighbours were not as lucky.
"At the moment they're shocked," she said.
"I've been sitting down with them, calming them and making sure they're all OK."
A pantry stocked with tinned food may not mean much to some, but for the flood-affected residents of Fitzroy Crossing, it is reassurance that the worst has passed.
"We're happy we get to come in and buy some tinned stuff to restock the shelves at home," local Amber McCarthy said.
Being able to pick up groceries provides a sense of normalcy that locals desperately need after battling with the WA's worst-ever flooding.
"It was devastating … especially seeing family members coming from the communities and having, like, nowhere to stay when they came into town," Ms McCarthy said.
With such a long road to recovery ahead, locals like Ms McCarthy are happy to enjoy the small things, like fresh fruit and vegetables at their grocer.
"We're happy to see it open. Sad that there's … not much vegetables and stuff," she said.
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