WHILE the Queensland floods have dominated the media in recent weeks, assistance is still needed in communities in the Gascoyne region and Carnarvon, following floods there before Christmas.
Last week, gas supplier Santos pledged to donate $50,000 to help the families who have suffered hardship or severe property damage as a result of the floods, while Premier Colin Barnett has committed the state government to contributing $100,000.
Monies will go to the Lord Mayor's Distress Relief Fund, the official state emergency fund which fast-tracks assistance to those suffering as a result of the floods.
Santos vice-president Western Australia John Anderson said his company was an active member of WA’s corporate community and it was important to assist local communities in times of crisis.
“This must be a terrible time for the people of Carnarvon and the Gascoyne, picking up the pieces after the flooding,” he said.
The state government last week established a $3 million fund to help Carnarvon growers return to production as soon as possible, given the region is a major supplier of fruit and vegetables for the state.
“These funds will [among other things] assist growers to access and spread soil on their plantations, which were stripped of topsoil as a result of the floods,’’ Acting Premier Kim Hames said.