Melissa Price (Durack, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I spent a very cold night on the edge of the desert last week when I met with various stakeholders and residents in one of Western Australia's most remote towns, Wiluna—and may I say I had the best sleep I had had in 18 months. Wiluna was once a thriving regional hub and is where my mother spent her childhood. Sadly, times have changed, and Wiluna is often now forgotten, particularly by government.

Wiluna is located 1,200 kilometres from Perth. Its closest regional centre is Kalgoorlie, some 500 kilometres away. When you look up the word 'isolated' in the Australian dictionary, the town of Wiluna would best meet its description. According to 2011 census data, 1,150 people live in the town. However, this data is largely skewed due to a large proportion of fly-in-fly-out miners and medical staff and a general underrepresentation of Aboriginal peoples in official records. It is a town often characterised by chronic homelessness, poor health and wellbeing, alcoholism, violence, poverty and poor education outcomes. However, despite the challenges this town faces daily, I was humbled by the residents' tenacity and their desire not only to improve the town but to see it thrive.

Although Wiluna is listed as 'very remote' on the Accessibility/Remoteness Index for Australia, the town has largely been forgotten in its delivery of key services, such as housing, welfare and road infrastructure. Its isolation means that the town has very little access to goods and services or opportunities for social interaction. Meekatharra is often referred to as its sister town, despite being about 180 kilometres away on the Goldfields Highway. The connection between these two towns is vital, particularly for the provision of medical services, with the Meekatharra hospital delivering key emergency and outpatient care in the region.

For all other medical services Wiluna relies on FIFO doctors and other medical professionals at the Ngangganawili Aboriginal Health Service Community. NAHS plays a very important role in providing comprehensive primary health care services to Wiluna and surrounding areas, but the importance of having access to hospital services, particularly in a town that has prevailing health concerns, cannot be taken lightly. It is also important to note that NAHS is the sole provider of medical services to the town, and aids both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people equally, making it a very unique organisation, being funded equally by the state and federal governments.

Wiluna is situated on the edge of the desert at the gateway to the Canning Stock Route and Gunbarrel Highway. It should be a key tourism access point. However, due to the prevalence of very dangerous road conditions, Wiluna is often bypassed by tourists, further reducing its future economic viability. In particular, the upgrading of the Goldfields Highway between Wiluna and Meekatharra is vital for the town's future. It is currently the only section of the state highway that is largely unsealed, creating adverse impacts on safety due to dust and road conditions, on access to the town, and on its amenity and transport efficiency. It has seen many fatalities and numerous accidents.

The Goldfields Highway is considered a key strategic freight, tourist and inter-town route, yet little has been done to seal this section of road, which floods in minor weather conditions and blocks all access to the town. The need to upgrade the road between Wiluna and Meekatharra has been accepted by the Western Australian state government for well over a decade, with $70 million promised to seal the road in 1998. Sadly, this never eventuated. In 2012, $20 million was however dedicated by the state government and the main roads department for the construction and sealing of passing lanes and floodways, but this was only for very small sections.

Having an entire town cut off from medical services is simply not acceptable in today's society. Medicines are often transported from Meekatharra via mail using this unreliable and unsafe transport route. I will be pushing for my state and federal government colleagues to make this road a priority, by ensuring Wiluna's collaborative voice is heard.

Thanks to NAHS CEO Richard Whittington, Shire of Wiluna CEO Andrea Nunan, President Jim Quadrio, Gillian and Malcolm Marchant from the Gunbarrel Laager Traveller's Rest and Art Gallery Manager Heather Charlton, together with Bernie Weller and Greg and Fran Weller, for helping me to organise this trip. I thank them for their hospitality.