Australia’s eyes have been on Alice Springs as the regional centre descends into chaos – but other Aussie towns are also crying out for help.
About 1280km to the northwest in the WA coastal Kimberley town of Derby, another destitute regional community faces a grim reality.
Cut off from the rest of the country by devastating flooding, having gone through a grog ban of its own, and as crime also rises to worrying heights, Derby locals feel they’re being forgotten.
Derby and much of Western Australia’s West Kimberley Region have been cut off for weeks by widespread flooding brought on by ex-tropical Cyclone Ellie.
Derby will remain that way until the at least the second half of February.
As floodwaters filled the low-lying desert plains and tore apart the highway at the turn of the new year, settlements like Derby and Broome took on many displaced residents from nearby communities.
The extreme weather event sparked an emergency situation declaration for the Shire of Derby-West Kimberley and Shire of Broome on January 3.
Cops claim emergency two-week grog ban worked
As result of the emergency Derby took in an estimated 200 evacuees, many reportedly from surrounding “dry” communities in the area.
Alcohol restrictions in Alice Springs have led the news agenda this week, but on January 26 in Derby, the town ended two weeks of liquor restrictions which prohibited all sales of takeaway alcohol.
Much like the NT, grog bans and restrictions are not uncommon in regional Western Australia.
Alcohol is totally banned in more than 25 “dry” Aboriginal communities in the state with numerous regional centres also subject to ongoing, and intermittent restrictions.
In the Kimberley region, most towns restrict how much alcohol you can buy - usually to one carton or one bottle of spirits per person.
And in the Kimberley, there are permanent liquor carriage limits to combat sly grogging – the practice of selling liquor to people in areas with alcohol restrictions.
A breach of the latter can land you a date with a magistrate – or a fine of $10,000.
On January 12, WA Police Kimberley District implemented extensive alcohol restrictions due to the emergency in the area and the influx of evacuees from dry communities.
“There is a responsibility to ensure the safety and security of residents in Derby and those displaced from their communities as a result of this significant emergency,” a police statement said.
“There has been a significant increase in liquor-related incidence adversely affecting the health, wellbeing, peace and safety of the community.
“Therefore, the difficult decision has been made to suspend the sale of takeaway alcohol in the town of Derby.”
Initially only set to last one week, the restrictions were extended to two – ending on Australia Day.
Roughly 50 Derby locals rallied at the local police station in protest soon after.
WA Police told news.com.au that due to the closure of takeaway liquor premises, there was a “significant decrease in alcohol-related offending”.
“The decision was made to ensure community safety during a declared emergency situation due to a rise in alcohol-related offending, including assaults, family violence and anti-social behaviour,” the spokeswoman said.
“The implementation of the closure of takeaway liquor premises resulted in a significant decrease in alcohol-related offending.”
“The sale of takeaway alcohol in Derby resumed on January 26, 2023, in a reduced capacity.”
Derby to remain cut off for weeks as locals fume
With floodwaters decimating bitumen highways, the WA government expects a temporary gravel access road to take four weeks to complete, meaning road access to Derby won’t return until at least the second half of February.
“Crews are working from both ends of a damaged 10-kilometre section of the highway and will be putting in place temporary gravel roads to allow for the reconnection between Broome, Derby and Fitzroy Crossing,” WA’s department of main roads said.
“It’s anticipated the works on the Willare section will take around four weeks to complete, with planning under way for a full road rebuild to begin in the dry season.”
In the meantime, barges and defence aircraft are the town’s only supply line, but the town is reportedly low on fuel, fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, and cigarettes.
Locals have taken to social media in the wake of the flooding, sharing an insight into their destitution.
One Derby local posted a video of a lap of the local Woolworths showing bare shelves and fridges.
“Trying to feed a family of seven after the Kimberley floods,” they wrote.
“No shade on our local supermarket. We just can’t get anything through after the roads were washed away.”
Another local woman, Maita Therese, who works a local roadhouse, said, “it’s a f**king sh*t show up here”.
She describes a town in a state of complete disarray, which Australia and the rest of WA have all but forgotten.
“You add 200 evacuees into a small town like this that’s already struggling. It’s gonna cause a bit of mayhem,” she said on TikTok.
“I have no idea who the f**k is in control of this, but Australia, this big ass country, this big state of Western Australia, has completely forgotten about the Kimberly’s and about Derby and has just left us on our own to figure it out for ourselves.”
She said food and fuel drops, which are hardly enough, were taking too long, and the only real support came from within the community.
“I don’t know what the f**k this government is doing,” she continued.
“I had a local who has been here for 50 years of his life turnaround and say ‘f**k this place – I’m done with it’.
“No one gives a f**k about us.”
Storms continued to bring heavy rainfall to northern tropical areas of Australia, including the Kimberley, last week with parts of the region recording falls well over 150mm over seven days.
Crime crisis before floodwaters arrived
And Derby’s issues preceded the devastating New Year Kimberley floods.
Western Australia Police data shows the 2022 calendar year was a record year for the rate of offences. The town of around 3200 recorded 2277 offences – an average of about six per day.
A massive portion of that, 1036 offences, were assault or threatening behaviour – both “family” and “non-family”.
Burglary, stealing, car theft and property damage made up a further 826 offences.
Broome, a premier tourist destination two hours to the south of Derby, was also put on liquor restrictions between January 12-26 to combat a “significant increase in liquor-related incidence”.
Spirits and cartons of full-strength beer, cider or premixed drinks were prohibited, with a limit of one six-pack implemented for the latter.
Your town doing it tough? – jack.evans@news.com.au
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