Australia donates A$12 million for reconstruction in West Sumatra

Syofiardi Bachyul Jb, The Jakarta Post, Padang, West Sumatra | Wed, 10/21/2009 7:40 PM

Australia will extend the second part of an aid package worth between A$10 million (US$9.2 million) and $12 million to help the West Sumatra administration deal with the impact of a magnitude 7.6 earthquake on Sept. 30.

Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith told a media conference in the provincial capital of Padang on Wednesday the financial aid would be allocated for reconstruction of schools and health facilities devastated by the quake.

Canberra had disbursed $4 million in relief funds for West Sumatra, part of it was spent on two water desalination processing plants in Padang after the quake paralyzed clean water services in the city.

Smith visited one of the plants on Jl. Samudera on Wednesday and drank the desalinated water.

Deputy Governor Barat Marlis Rahman expressed gratitude to Australia’s commitment to alleviating the suffering of the West Sumatrans.

“Just two days after the earthquake, when we were still scrambling to unearth victims from the rubble, an Australian Search and Rescue team had arrived in Padang,” Marlis recounted.

He asked if the city might keep the water desalination plant as the city water company had been unable to resume service in many parts of the city.