With the continued spread of COVID-19 across Western Australia and the whole country, the Kimberley Zone has called for the State Government to enforce a travel ban to the region.
The Kimberley Zone is made up of four local governments in North West Western Australia – the Shire of Broome, Shire of Derby West Kimberley, Shire of Halls Creek and Shire of Wyndham East Kimberley.
The organisation held two extraordinary meetings on March 20 and 21, with a consensus that more needs to be done to protect the Kimberley region.
The group welcomed the State Government ruling that inter-state arrivals must go into self isolation for 14 days and recent determinations to protect remote Aboriginal communities.
However, with the Kimberley home to many at-risk people, residents could be more susceptible to the adverse health repercussions of contracting COVID-19.
Shire of Broome president Harold Tracey said it was important that action was taken immediately.
“We are calling on the State Government to enforce a maximum level of travel restrictions across and around the Kimberley region as soon as possible.
“While the State Government’s recent decisions in relation to curtailing inter-state travel are a great start, additional measures must be taken in the North West before any confirmed cases of COVID-19 are identified.
“With the tourism season approaching, where around half-a-million visitors travel to the Kimberley each year, we must act now.
“The potential consequences of uncontrolled COVID-19 in the Kimberley would be devastating and as such the region’s four local governments are committed to working together to protect our residents.”
