❓ A WA parliamentary question addresses the impact of the 2023 Kimberley floods on pastoral leases, seeking data on damage, cattle losses, government support, and future flood preparedness. The response provides some data on financial assistance but deflects some questions due to lack of specific data or referral to another department.
AnsweredQoN 185Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the January 2023 floods in the Kimberley, and particularly the Fitzroy Valley, and I ask: (a) how many pastoral leases were impacted by the floods; (b) will the Minister list the pastoral leases impacted by the floods; (c) will the Minister table flood damage costs of each individual pastoral lease; (d) if no to (c), why not; (e) how many cattle were estimated to have been lost during the floods; (f) will the Minister table the number of head of cattle lost from each pastoral lease due to the impacts of the floods; (g) if no to (f), why not; (h) has the Government provided financial support to pastoral lease holders impacted by of the floods; (i) if no to (h), why not; (j) if yes to (h), how much has each pastoral lease received and will the Minister table the amount for each pastoral lease; (k) if no to (j), why not; (l) based on the latest climate change and severe weather event data and modelling, has the likelihood of such record flooding occurring again in the near future in the Kimberley been considered by government; (m) if yes to (l), what is the likelihood of such severe flooding occurring in the next: (i) five years; and (ii) ten years; and (n) what is the Government planning to do to prepare the region for future severe flooding fuelled by climate change?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
24 June 2025
Responded by
Minister for Agriculture and Food
Response time
7 days
(a) Around 50 pastoral leases were impacted by the floods in the January 2023 wet season.
(b – j) DPIRD does not hold a database of damage to individual pastoral leases, or cattle losses from each lease, as a result of the Kimberley floods.
Recovery programs that have provided financial assistance to pastoral lease holders include:
· Primary Producers Assistance Measure
· Primary Producers Recovery Grants Program
· Environmental, Heritage and Culture Flexible Grants Program
· Premier’s Relief Payment
Pastoral lessees were also supported directly or indirectly by the Freight Assistance Scheme and were able to seek pastoral lease rent relief from the Pastoral Lands Board.
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services reports that as of 30 May 2025, total funds disbursed under key recovery programs to pastoral lease holders as:
Primary Producers Assistance Measure
$2,158.20
Primary Producers Recovery Grants Program
$373,647.27
Environment, Heritage and Culture Flexible Grants Program
$116,300
Premiers Relief
(Note: Pastoralists were only eligible if they could prove their place of residence was damaged).
$4,000
(l - m) This question should be referred to the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation
n ) DPIRD provides a range of services to support the decision making of pastoralists around a variable and changing climate, including:
- A network of weather stations
- Rangeland remote sensing that provides weekly advice on dry matter growth rates as a result of rainfall.
- Functional research into:
§ New systems for beef production including opportunities within a changing climate.
§ Emerging production opportunities for diversification for pastoralists.
(b – j) DPIRD does not hold a database of damage to individual pastoral leases, or cattle losses from each lease, as a result of the Kimberley floods.
Recovery programs that have provided financial assistance to pastoral lease holders include:
· Primary Producers Assistance Measure
· Primary Producers Recovery Grants Program
· Environmental, Heritage and Culture Flexible Grants Program
· Premier’s Relief Payment
Pastoral lessees were also supported directly or indirectly by the Freight Assistance Scheme and were able to seek pastoral lease rent relief from the Pastoral Lands Board.
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services reports that as of 30 May 2025, total funds disbursed under key recovery programs to pastoral lease holders as:
Primary Producers Assistance Measure
$2,158.20
Primary Producers Recovery Grants Program
$373,647.27
Environment, Heritage and Culture Flexible Grants Program
$116,300
Premiers Relief
(Note: Pastoralists were only eligible if they could prove their place of residence was damaged).
$4,000
(l - m) This question should be referred to the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation
n ) DPIRD provides a range of services to support the decision making of pastoralists around a variable and changing climate, including:
- A network of weather stations
- Rangeland remote sensing that provides weekly advice on dry matter growth rates as a result of rainfall.
- Functional research into:
§ New systems for beef production including opportunities within a changing climate.
§ Emerging production opportunities for diversification for pastoralists.
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