Drought-ravaged town’ is left without food after supermarket burns down

A town on its knees from Australia’s crippling drought is left without FOOD as it’s only supermarket burns down

  • Walgett has been devastated from the drought and has lost its only food store
  • The IGA supermarket burnt down on Wednesday for the second time in six years
  • Locals are now forced to travel 80kms to a neighboring town to get basic items

A town already ‘on its knees’ because of severe drought has suffered another devastating blow when its only supermarket burnt down.

The small community in Walgett, in northern New South Wales, took another hit on Wednesday when its IGA grocery store was destroyed, leaving locals with no access to food or daily necessities.

The blaze left residents with no other option but to travel at least 80kms to a neighboring town, Lightning Ridge, to fulfill their basic needs.

The IGA in Walgett, NSW burnt down on Wednesday (pictured above) leaving locals with no choice but to travel 80kms to a neighboring town for basic items

‘In the short term, it’s going to create a lot of havoc,’ Walgett Shire Council mayor Manuel Martinez told AAP on Thursday.

‘These little communities suffer so much and when you’ve got to travel 80kms or 110kms to the nearest shopping centre, just to get your basics, it’s a real blow.’

While the country town has endured plenty of setbacks, Mr Martinez says Walgett is used to getting knocked down and getting back up again.

‘You just brush yourself off and away you go,’ he said.

‘It’s very devastating for our little shire but we can just look forward and believe and look into the future and be positive.’

‘It’s early days, but we’re just trying to turn defeat into victory,’ Mr Martinez said.

After an emergency meeting was called on Wednesday, a free bus service was created to transport people to another nearby town, Coonamble. 

The IGA is the only supermarket in the country town (pictured) and has burnt down twice in six years

The IGA is the only supermarket in the country town (pictured) and has burnt down twice in six years

It’s the second time in six years the owners of the supermarket have lost their business to fire.

After losing the store in 2013, it took almost a year for it to be rebuilt. 

A pop up market has been put in the works to give locals some basic supplies.

Walgett has been relying on bore water for nearly 18 months after water levels were critically low.  

Western NSW Minister Adam Marshall said having to travel 80kms for groceries may as well be 800 or 8,000kms because many don’t have the means to get there.

‘The township of Walgett is already on its knees,’ he told state parliament on Wednesday.

‘The government will stand by that community and will work … to make sure that no one in Walgett is adversely affected by this extra blow it received.’ 

Police plan to meet with the local council to ensure the community has efficient access to food and water.

Walgett (pictured is farmland nearby) is 'already on its knees' as a result of the drought

Walgett (pictured is farmland nearby) is ‘already on its knees’ as a result of the drought 

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