Floods cut off Wiluna pastoral station

A remote pastoral station in WA’s northern Goldfields is bracing to be “cut off from the outside world” for a month after heavy rainfall flooded its primary access routes.

Lou and Pam Ward’s Glen-Ayle Station, north-east of Wiluna, was drenched with more than 200mm in a drastic 12-hour downpour last Thursday, bursting creeks and leaving the cattle property’s roads under up to 4m of water.

It came as the neighbouring Carnegie Station was hit with a record-breaking 270mm soaking in 24 hours.

Mr Ward was thankful for the rain’s arrival, with the region’s pastoralists remaining upbeat it signals the end of the two-year dry spell which has crippled the Southern Rangelands.

However, the cattle producer said the baron rangelands had been unable to cope with the massive rain influx, leading to widespread floods.

“We are grateful for the rain, but now the creek crossings are gone and the roads in and out of the station are impassable,” he said.

“We are cut off from the outside world for probably a month, at least two weeks in the best case.

“The only way in and out of here at the moment is by air.”

Mr Ward said the Shire of Wiluna was working on a plan to fly food and supplies via helicopter into Glen-Ayle.

Glen-Ayle only has two access roads: one travelling south-west and intersecting Granite Peak Station towards Wiluna, while the other links the pastoral lease with Carnegie Station.

Mr Ward said Glen-Ayle’s main crossing, between the station and Granite Peak, was flooded with water up to 4m high.

“The 200mm in one go was a bit too much for the land to hold and now we have to wear it,” he said.

“We’ve just had two years of blazing conditions and no vegetation and now we’ve had a flood.”

Mr Ward said it was difficult to determine the impact on livestock.