WHEATBELT Development Commission chief executive Rob Cossart has been appointed the district recovery co-ordinator (DRC) to the Wheatbelt.
His role will be to support communities recovering from the aftermath of catastrophic bushfires that hit the Wheatbelt region in February.
He will also chair a District Recovery Co-ordination Group that will be established to ensure targeted support is delivered to fire-affected communities.
Farmers in the Wheatbelt suffered significant losses during the fires, with three separate blazes tearing through Western Australia's agricultural heartland on February 6.
Fanned by strong winds and extreme heat, the fires burnt more than 60,000 hectares, devastated farmland and destroyed livestock in the local government areas of Corrigin, Cuballing, Narrogin, Bruce Rock and Wickepin.
As chairman of the co-ordination group, Mr Cossart will facilitate a forum for shires to come together to share and learn from their respective challenges and approaches to the recovery journey.
This additional support from the State government complements jointly funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements that have already been announced for parts of the region.
Emergency Services Minister Stephen Dawson said this was the first time a district recovery co-ordinator has been appointed to assist with recovery efforts.
"Rob Cossart is the ideal candidate to take on this challenging, yet important role," Mr Dawson said.
"Mr Cossart is a community leader with considerable knowledge of the region, especially its agriculture, and he has a strong understanding of local recovery efforts.
"As head of the Wheatbelt Development Commission, he has an intimate understanding of the issues affecting each shire."
Regional Development Minister Alannah MacTiernan said many Wheatbelt communities were devastated by these bushfires and would continue to feel the effects in the months ahead.
"The impacts on the agricultural industry from these fires were immense," Ms MacTiernan said.
"The appointment of Rob Cossart as district recovery co-ordinator will bring together skillsets and knowledge across the Department of Fire and Emergency Services, Primary Industries and Regional Development, and the Wheatbelt Development Commission.
"Rob's role as District Recovery Coordinator will provide another important avenue for the affected communities to receive the vital support they need in recovery."
Want weekly news highlights delivered to your inbox? Sign up to the Farm Weekly newsletter.
