CITY of Kalamunda has secured a vital financial injection to strengthen bushfire defenses, following the announcement of more than $4 million in state funding to local governments across WA.

Mayor Margaret Thomas confirmed the city had been selected as a recipient of the Mitigation Activity Fund (MAF), receiving $73,743 to be used over the next three years.

“The City of Kalamunda welcomes the announcement by Emergency Services Minister Paul Papalia, confirming that the city has been selected as one of the local government recipients of funding,” she said.

“This funding will enable the city to take important bushfire risk reduction works, including using a forestry mulcher on road verges to reduce the presence of woody weeds, and completing two hazard reduction burns in identified high-risk areas.

“These initiatives form part of the city’s ongoing commitment to improving community safety and resilience by proactively managing bushfire hazards across our region,”.

The funding follows serious bushfires affecting Kalamunda residents, including the recent New Year’s Day fire that left thousands without power and threatened homes.

The investment in Kalamunda is part of a broader $4.24m package targeting high-risk areas between the Perth Hills and Great Southern.

The wider program has seen a total of 632 mitigation treatments conducted across six local government areas, including the shires of Collie, Dardanup, Denmark, Esperance, and Jerramungup.

Minister Papalia highlighted the growing need for mitigation as a cornerstone of the state’s bushfire response.

“We see thousands of bushfires each season and with 93 per cent of the state being bushfire prone, it is vital we work with our local governments to undertake the preventative work to help protect their communities,” he said.

“Bushfire mitigation such as managing fuel loads and building firebreaks is an essential tool, which not only helps reduce the severity of bushfires but also assists firefighters to bring fires under  control before lives and homes are at risk.”

Since the MAF was introduced in 2017, the state government has awarded more than $69m in grants to nearly 9500 mitigation projects.