Vital supplies flown to Broome

More than 12 tonnes of fresh produce and long-life milk was this afternoon flown to Broome to help replenish barren shelves at Coles in Chinatown.

Supermarkets in the Kimberley town and Derby, 210km away, have not had deliveries for several days because sections of the Great Northern Highway have been closed due to flooding.

The supplies were flown to Broome from Perth in a chartered Boeing 737-400 freight carrier.

Coles Chinatown manager Mark Mason said a semi-trailer load of groceries would be arriving sometime tonight.

A barge ferrying further stock from Port Hedland was due in Broome by about midday tomorrow.

The vessel was carrying three semi-trailers loaded with refrigerated and dry groceries.

Mr Mason said his store had completely run out of fresh produce and perishables.

“Obviously bakery lines we don’t have, refrigerated milk we don’t have—those lines have been hit very hard,” he said.

“For the last couple of days we have not had a lot of stock on our shelves.”