Cattle stations in Western Australia’s remote Pilbara region have been inundated with floodwater in the wake of Tropical Cyclone Zelia, putting livestock at risk.
De Grey Station, 100 kilometres north of Port Hedland, was directly in the category four system’s path when it hit the Pilbara coast on Friday.
It delivered winds that ripped trees from the ground and collapsed a newly-built machinery shed, but its worst impact was felt from the river.
A record-breaking three day rain total of 580.4 millimetres fell at De Grey Station before 9am on Friday, and further cyclonic rain pushed the De Grey River into major flood levels.
The river rose to a record nine metres.
Mark Bettini owns and manages De Grey Station, where cattle have been trying to survive in the rising water.
“The river has spread flat out across the paddocks, probably 10 kilometres wide,” he said.
Mark Bettini said his cattle were in great condition prior to the flooding. (Supplied: Mark Bettini)
After spending some time in the air in a helicopter, Mr Bettini hoped the losses were not too severe.
“As a positive I haven’t seen too many dead bodies floating around,”
he said.
“But we will lose some to this flood for sure.”
A mob of cattle is pushed to higher ground at De Grey Station. (Supplied: Mark Bettini)
His priority since Friday has been shifting his stock to safety.
“We are just trying to make things better for the cattle we can, so we are moving them to higher ground as the floodwater spreads out,” he said.
Cattle yards were flooded at De Grey Station. (Supplied: Mark Bettini)
Rivers rise further inland
Yarrie Station, 100km north of Marble Bar, was also inundated as the cyclone went inland.
Owner Annabelle Coppin said the floodwater came right up to the back door of her homestead, a level not recorded since 1941 when her grandmother lived on the station.
The water lapped the back doorstep. (Supplied: Annabelle Coppin)
“Thankfully the record wasn’t broken and the water pulled up and just slowly receded before it reached the house,”
Ms Coppin said.
The landscape of Yarrie, which features more hills, meant their livestock have had an easier time in the flooding.
“Because the river came up slowly and we have plenty of high country on Yarrie [the cattle] can move off and they had time to,” Ms Coppin said.
Yarrie Station homestead stranded in floodwaters (Supplied: Annabelle Coppin)
Ms Coppin was relieved she did not receive the same wind gusts and flood intensity as De Grey.
“Of course we are thinking of [those] people all through that area where they just got a hell of a mess,” she said.
“Whereas we will be OK now, we’re just going to be enjoying the fact the country is wet.”
Horses escape the high water of Yarrie Station. (Supplie: Annabelle Coppin)
Future outlook
Kimberley Pilbara Cattlemen’s Association chief executive Bron Christenson said she had received minimal reports of cattle deaths.
“As far as I’m aware there hasn’t been significant losses,” she said.
“There has definitely been some losses, but more survive than than were washed away.”
Floodwater surrounds the homestead at Warrawagine. (Supplied: Amanda Gould)
But concerns remained for surviving animals as water covered their usual feeding spots.
“The key issue is going to be fodder and feeding the cattle in both the short and the long term,” she said.
Along with feed, the issue of cattle remaining in wet conditions could result health implications if temperatures were to dip.
“The animals can’t handle that significant drop in temperature when they’re wet,” she said.
Calls for clean-up assistance have been answered by neighbours and emergency services.
But pastoralists will soon look to the costs of rebuilding.
“The emergency committee is undertaking processing a recovery funding,” Ms Christenson said.
