Authorities have temporarily relaxed the road rules to ensure essential supplies reach the nation’s north amid Western Australia’s worst flooding on record.

January 6, 2023

Western Australia’s worst flooding on record spreads, as authorities relax the road rules to ensure essential supplies reach the nation’s northwest.

Emergency evacuations continued in the Kimberley region on Thursday, as the Fitzroy River’s flood peak bore down on the tiny Noonkanbah.

Helicopters plucked anxious residents from sodden outstation, as evacuations continued and three Australian Defence Force planes arrived to help with the airlift.

“People in the Kimberley are experiencing a one-in-100-year flood event, the worst flooding WA has ever seen,” Emergency Services Minister Stephen Dawson told reporters.

“This situation is still changing and it’s proving to be extremely challenging.”

About 60,000 cubic metres of water per second is flowing down the swollen Fitzroy River, which is expected to create a 50km-wide inland sea as it spreads across the flood plain.

Looma and Willare are also under threat after the river reached a record 15.81 metres upstream at Fitzroy Crossing, with dozens of people from other communities already evacuated.

“Multiple rescue missions have (also) been conducted in and around Fitzroy Crossing to rescue people from floodwaters,” Mr Dawson said.

“As of today there have been 47 requests for assistance.”

Road access to the town of Derby has been cut after flooding forced authorities to close a 700km section of the Great Northern Highway between Broome and Halls Creek, isolating the town of about 3000 people.

Authorities say it’s likely the freight route south of Broome is also impassable at low-lying Roebuck Plain and it could take many weeks for it to drain.

The emergency has prompted the authorities to temporarily tweak the rules for long road trains in WA and South Australia to ensure food and essential supplies reach WA’s north and the Northern Territory.

Normally banned long road trains up to 53.5 metres in length will be permitted to travel through parts eastern WA and SA until late February.

“This temporary access will allow increased freight capacity on alternative road networks to keep essential freight moving and ensure communities in north west Australia have access to food and essential supplies,” Madeleine King, Acting Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, said.

It comes as ex-tropical cyclone Ellie continues to dump heavy rain with strong winds on the West Kimberley, where up to 400mm was recorded in and around Broome over the past two days.

The slow-moving weather system is hovering near Broome and is expected to remain in the area for the remainder of Thursday before rapidly moving southeast towards the Northern Territory on Friday.