Storm damage hits Busselton's hip pocket

The City of Busselton is facing a damage bill of up to half-a-million dollars in the wake of this week’s severe storms.

Wind gusts of up to 109kmph were recorded at Cape Naturaliste during Tuesday’s storm, while winds during Sunday’s storm reached 139kmph.

City of Busselton chief executive Mike Archer told the Times early indications suggest a damage bill in the range of $500,000, however the City was still assessing damage across the municipality.

“Local Governments can apply for WANDRA (WA Natural Disaster Relief Arrangements) funding for damage bills in excess of $240,000.

It will be our intention to apply for this funding once we have a clear indication of total cost,” he said.

Mr Archer said while many residents experienced power and communication black-outs, the region did not sustain significant structural damage and all roads were open.

Mr Archer predicted the bulk of the clean-up would take place in the next two to three weeks, while in more remote parts of the City the clean-up might take months.

Busselton State Emergency Services deputy manager Ben Gardiner said there were 43 requests for SES assistance, which were all completed by 1pm on Wednesday.