‘The cost will be huge’: Ord farmers severed from Perth market urge governments to prioritise bridge repairs

Farmers in Kununurra’s Ord Valley have urged State and Federal Governments to prioritise repairs to the Fitzroy River Bridge after floodwaters severed access to one of their major markets. Once-in-a-century floods that decimated the town of Fitzroy Crossing last week have also cut Ord Valley farmers off from the Perth market, where they send fruit and vegetables starting in June. Ord River District Co-operative chair Fritz Bolten said time was on the farmers’ side with planting still a few weeks away and no crops now being harvested, but urged governments not to be complacent. “The Ord produces a lot of product for Perth markets, and if that has to go through South Australia and into Western Australia . . . I don’t know what the total cost will be, but it won’t be good,” he said. “We normally send product in June . . . rockmelons, watermelons, pumpkins and early grapefruit.” Engineers are this week expected to start assessing the Fitzroy River Bridge after it collapsed when it was inundated with 15.81m floodwaters — well above the previous record of 13.95m. Its closure means food and medical supplies are being detoured through South Australia and the Northern Territory, with a decision about how the Great Northern Highway may be reopened in limbo. Mr Bolten said ORDCO had been incredibly organised with “stock on hand”, including fertiliser and chemicals to help with planting of horticultural crops in coming weeks. The co-operative imports urea from the Wyndham Port, 100km from Kununurra, alleviating some of the immediate pressure on farmers as they start planting crops. “It would have added an enormous amount of pressure if we didn’t have those inputs organised,” he said. “But the road being down for a few months will have a huge impact in terms of being able to get spare parts and other inputs we need. “So we have to find other supply lines or face the reality that our transport costs will be doubled.” Ord farmers send produce to a range of diverse markets, including exporting corn to Korea from the Wyndham Port and trucking fruit and vegetables to the Eastern States. They also produce stockfeed and hay for cattle stations, which could be difficult to service in coming weeks with roads closed and damaged by the floodwaters. Mr Bolten said the already major issue of finding and retaining staff would be amplified, with one of his staff having to undertake the herculean journey from Perth to Kununurra via SA and the NT. A second staff member will undertake the same route from Esperance, while the third will fly. He also flagged concerns about the wide-ranging effects on tourism in a town heavily reliant on tourism to prop up and support the local economy. “My major concern is, there is a concern there are no roads, and therefore no tourists,” he said. “The tourism sector has had such a bad run through COVID . . . and this is another blow. “We are a wealthy, well-developed nation . . . I hope they open this road quickly. “This has a huge impact on the community, and we need to take this seriously.”