Chapman Valley’s cyclone relief centre opens up in Nabawa

Chapman Valley now has a relief centre for people affected by cyclone Seroja where they can access food and other relief services.

The Department of Communities and Chapman Valley Shire set up the facility at the Nabawa Community Centre on Thursday while the Shire continues to clean up roads and other public works.

Chapman Valley Shire president Anthony Farrell said the Shire had been forced to close some roads which still had live powerlines down.

“Telstra and Main Roads came and cleared the roads, but you’d think Western Power would have someone to assess the situation and get somebody to get some powerlines off the road,” he said.

Cr Farrell, a Yuna farmer, said people had been grieving in various ways since the crisis.

“When you lose landline and mobile signal, people get pretty isolated,” he said.

People react differently — when you lose your house around you it frightens the absolute s... out of you.

“You are angry and emotional and the first thing you want to do is start blaming people around you.

Cr Farrell said his family had “got off lightly” compared to many, having lost a small grain silo with minor damage to the house and shed.

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In Yuna, there appears to be a sharp divide between those who attended a Wednesday community crisis meeting at Nabawa and those who did not make it.

Nolba farmer Craig Mincherton, who could not attend the meeting, said “no good” came out of the cyclone.

“The whole Shire of Chapman Valley really copped a belting,” he said.

“We had good rain but it looks like a bomb’s gone off here,” he said, referring to his lost farm sheds.

Nolba farmer Jasmyn Allen said her family had been “incredibly lucky” to have kept all of their buildings.

“We feel for our next-door neighbours who have lost houses and places of residence — that’s incredibly hard to see,” she said.

Mrs Allen said she had been unable to attend the Wednesday night community meeting.

“The whole community needed to have their voices heard,” she said.

“Our telecoms have been down so we haven’t been able to talk and unite as a group thus far, so the meeting was incredibly beneficial as we’ve had some outcomes.”