Important advice for people in remote Kimberley communities

In a life threatening emergency, call emergency services first on 000.

Support services

Local Flood Help Centres

Derby Flood Help Centre

Department of Communities Housing Building at 16 – 22 Loch Street. Open from 10:00am – 2:00pm Monday to Friday.

Broome Flood Help Centre

Broome Boulevard Shopping Centre. Open from 10:00am – 2:00pm Monday to Friday.

Fitzroy Crossing Flood Help Centre

Flood Help Centre at 4 Flynn Street. Open from 8:00am – 12.30pm Monday to Friday.

Fitzroy Crossing Information Centre

General information and support centre located at the shop front – Tarunda Shopping Centre, 21 Forrest Road. Open from 10:00am – 2:00pm Monday to Friday.

Local support services

Derby: see our Derby support services page.

Broome: see our Broome support services page.

Fitzroy Crossing: see our Fitzroy Crossing support services page.

Disaster Response Hotline

The Disaster Response Hotline (1800 032 965) operates Monday to Friday, 9am – 4pm and provides a referral point for impacted community members requiring support and information.

Support hotlines

Support hotlines are available for mental health assistance: Fitzroy Crossing (9166 1700) and Derby (9193 3605). For after-hours support, call Rurallink on 1800 552 002.

Financial support

The one-off Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment is now available to people who’ve suffered significant loss as a result of the severe weather and flooding. Eligible people can claim these payments online through myGov, or by calling 180 22 66, Monday to Friday, 8am – 5pm. Check your eligibility.

The Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation (ILSC) 2023 Emergency Response Grants Program has been established as an emergency response grant for any Indigenous corporation whose property has been directly affected by floods. A grant of up to $20,000 will be available to assist Indigenous corporations to immediately secure and clean up damaged properties. You can call 1800 818 490, email FloodResponse@ilsc.gov.au or check your eligibility online. 

Accommodation and travel support

If you require accommodation or travel support, please contact the Disaster Response Hotline on 1800 032 965. Alternative options for travel support include emailing your personal details, pick up and drop off location and emergency contact to Kimberley.Welfare@communities.wa.gov.au or by visiting the Broome Civic Centre.

Electrical safety

If any of the following happen call KRSP immediately on 1800 635 641 (24/7):

Fallen powerlines

If you see or hear something like a hanging power line or loud bang stay at least 10 metres away. Any details you can provide will help our emergency crews safely restore power as quickly as possible.

Dull or flickering lights

If you're experiencing dull or flickering lights, 'brown out', low voltage or partial supply, don’t touch your fuse box or anything metal in your home. If it’s possible to easily access power points, turn off and unplug your appliances.

A shock or tingle when touching appliances or taps

If you experience tingles or shocks from an electrical appliance or water taps, ensure no one touches them and call KRSP immediately. Once you've reported the fault with KRSP, call Housing Direct immediately for an electrician to check your wiring as soon as possible.

If the electricity goes off, do the following before calling KRSP on 1800 635 641 (24/7):

Check if other lights or appliances are working

Check your switchboard fuse box to see whether any of your safety switches (known as Residual Current Devices or RCDs for short) have tripped and check your mains switch is in the ON position.

Check if your neighbours have power

Check if there's any lights on or get in touch with them. This will help you to work out if an outage is affecting your property only, or if it’s a wider issue.

During an electricity outage, if everyone is safe

Turn off your lights

Turning off the lights and lamps in your home will reduce the risk of damage from possible power fluctuations. Just leave one light switch on, so you’ll know when power is restored.

Unplug electrical appliances

Power fluctuations may occur when the power comes back on, so it’s a good idea to unplug sensitive appliances such as computers, TVs, game consoles, air-conditioners, heaters, microwaves and reticulation systems to reduce the risk of damage.

Keep your fridge and freezer closed

If you can, keep your fridge and freezer doors closed as much as possible. Your food will stay fresh for several hours without power if your appliance seals are in good order.

Turn off taps and save water

The water supply in your community relies on electricity. You must restrict water use for drinking, food preparation and personal hygiene.

After an electricity outage, if everyone is safe

Check your meter box

If you have partial or no power, or your neighbours have power and you don’t, check your fuse box to make sure safety switches including RCDs are all in the 'on' position.

Safety first

If you suspect an appliance or equipment has been damaged during a power outage, always use a licensed electrician to check for you. Don't try to fix it yourself.

Drinking water

Drinking water is precious and may run out during an emergency. Please do the following:

Immediately

• Turn off all taps that you are not using. Turn off your garden irrigation if it is safe to do so.
• Fill some clean bottles with tap water, or containers with lids, for use in an emergency.

If the water stops

If water from the tap stops flowing, or reduces to a trickle, immediately call KRSP on 1800 635 641 (24/7 monitoring).

If the electricity goes off

The water supply in your community relies on electricity. If the electricity goes off, water treatment and storage will stop. The community will only have access to treated water stored in tanks. The tanks will run out if the electricity stays off for more than several hours.

If the electricity goes off, you must immediately restrict water use for drinking, food preparation and personal hygiene. Turn off all taps that you are not using.

When the electricity comes back on

It may take a few hours to restart water treatment systems and refill the storage tanks. Please continue to conserve water. Turn off all taps that you are not using.

Report water leaks

Leaks waste precious water.

Report a water leak on your property to Housing Direct on 1300 137 677.

Report a water leak in the street or a community area to KRSP on 1800 635 641.

We will send someone to fix the problem when the roads re-open and a crew is available. This may take a while.

Wastewater (toilets and sinks)

Your house may have a septic tank or be connected to a wastewater system. Both of these may be affected during severe weather including flooding and there is a risk that sewage may overflow onto land or into waterways. You can help reduce the risk by the following:

Immediately

Turn off all taps that you are not using.

Do not flush anything down the toilet other than human waste.

Avoid contact with floodwaters as it may be contaminated by sewage, rubbish or dead animals. You must clean any wounds or sores that come into contact with floodwater and get medical help if you experience any illness.

If the electricity goes off

If your house or community is connected to a wastewater system, the system will not operate if the electricity goes off.

You will need to reduce flow into the system until the electricity comes back on. Turn off all taps that you are not using. Do not flush anything down the toilet other than human waste. You can also choose to flush toilets only for poo waste.

Rubbish collection

Road closures means rubbish will not be collected.

Rubbish collection in your community will be suspended if local roads are closed or unsafe.

Please store your rubbish in your household bin and keep the bin away from floodwater and animals.

Do not dump rubbish on land or into waterways as this will spread contamination and risk of disease.

Flood damage

Safety first

If you are returning to your house after a flood, check the area for fallen powerlines and any hazards. Do not enter the house if it looks like unsafe or damaged, such as sagging or leaning walls, or a sagging ceiling or roof.

If you think the house is unsafe, immediately call Housing Direct on 1300 137 677.

If you need emergency accommodation, call the Department of Communities Disaster Relief Hotline on 1800 032 965.

Flood damaged items

If your house has been flooded, you may need to dispose of things that are water-damaged, such as furniture, carpet, bedding and appliances.

Please store these outside your house in your yard until we can arrange for collection and disposal. Do not take these things to your local landfill as it will fill the tip too quickly.

Evacuation

If you are evacuated or chose to leave your house, turn off the water and power if it is safe to do so. This will help reduce faults while you are away and improve safety when you return.

For electricity, turn off the mains switch that is near the meter. Water to your home can be turned off completely via the stopcock located at the water meter or around the boundary of your yard. If you can’t find the stopcock, turn off all taps in the house and yard, including the tap that fills the toilet cistern.

Only turn off the power and water if it is safe to do so.

Rent relief

Visit the West Kimberley Floods Rent Relief - Impacted Aboriginal Communities page.

Electrical inspection calendar

If you have a tenancy with the Department of Communities, we’ll be checking the electrical supply to your home and making it safe. If there has been damage to buildings in your community, we will talk to you about what happens next at your Community Gathering. View the Electrical Inspection Calendar. 

How to deal with mould following a flood

Information on dealing with mould can be found on our 'how to deal with mould following a flood' page.