Bushfire inquiry: NSW government must tour fire-affected areas

Communities scarred by the devastation of the Black Summer fires have demanded the NSW Government take their public inquiry out of Macquarie St and on the road. VOTE IN OUR ONLINE POLL.

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Devastated victims of the Black Summer fires that continue to grip communities across the state have called on the NSW Government public inquiry to experience the trauma and hear first hand from survivors.

Victims of the fire season, small business owners and mayors have pleaded with the government to tour fire-affected communities as part of a recently announced six-month inquiry.

Bawley Point resident and small business owner, Liza Butler, said the inquiry “wouldn’t get real responses” if it didn’t tour fire affected communities.

“People are so traumatised on the south coast from what they have experienced that they won’t be able to put pen to paper,” Ms Butler told NewsLocal.

“People in government have no idea what we are still going through today — we need them to come and see what we are living with.

“It is far more powerful to hear the stories of devastated people in their own community.”

Liza Butler, of Bawley Point, pictured with her husband.

Ms Butler said the inquiry needed to understand the first-hand accounts of people being trapped in towns as fires raged down on them and others who couldn’t access food or water when roads were closed.

“It isn’t just about the firefighters dealing with the fire, it is about providing adequate resources on the ground,” she said.

“The government told the whole of the south coast to evacuate at once, it was pandemonium and poorly managed — we were sitting ducks in kilometres of traffic.”

Ms Butler said the Bawley Point Community Association was organising its own plans to identify strengths and weaknesses of the community.

Liza Butler's home at Bawley Point as fire rushes towards it.

“We are putting our own emergency plans in place, because we can’t rely on the government to assist us,” she said.

In Sydney’s far north-west, Colo Heights resident, James Martin, watched his neighbours’ properties burn as firefighters searched for water across the mega blaze of the Gospers Mountain fire ground — which claimed 24 properties.

“You need to see it, first hand, what the fires did to our families and our towns before you make decisions on what to do in the future,” Mr Martin told NewsLocal.

“They need to hear what resources and support we need in the future from the people that survived it.”

Mr Martin said volunteer firefighters were “scraping the bottom of the barrel” to find water and other resources to fight the fire that raged on for months.

Colo Heights resident James Martin as fire approached his property.

Blue Mountains Mayor Mark Greenhill — whose community lost 18 homes — urged the government to conduct the inquiry in the public as “people will have less faith in an inquiry that appears to be held behind closed doors”.

“People want their stories to be told,” he said. “that brings healing.”

The independent expert inquiry — led by former NSW Police Deputy Commissioner, Dave Owens and independent Planning Commission chair, Professor Mary O’Kane — has been tasked with reviewing the causes of the bushfires and plan for future ones.

James Martin and Dave Davey prepare their properties for the approaching Gospers Mountain Fires.

Deputy Premier John Barilaro ruled out members of the inquiry touring — instead calling on victims of the fires to make “written submissions”.

“There will be opportunities for all people in regional NSW to share their stories,” Mr Barilaro said. “They will have a big part in changing policies of government in the future.”

Mr Barilaro said residents in regional communities are suffering “anxiety, fear and trauma”.

“The inquiry is an appropriate way of seeing the devastation around us,” he said.

“Do you really think that people that have lost their homes, lost family members will want to go to a town-hall meeting to talk about that.”

NSW Opposition Leader Jodi McKay supported victims calling for members of the inquiry to tour regional towns stretching from the state’s mid-north coast to the Hawkesbury, the Blue Mountains and south coast to witness the devastation caused by fires in the 2019/20 fire season.

But Premier, Gladys Berejiklian, said she wanted to reassure residents that the government will “take care of you until you are back on your feet”.

A home destroyed by bushfires can be seen near the town of Bilpin. (Picture: David Gray)

“I anticipate and expect the inquiry to be robust and extensive,” she said. “If the opposition is serious about adopting recommendation before the next bushfire season, they will adopt the government’s inquiry.

“The two people leading the inquiry are able to speak to whoever they like and visit locations across the state.”

The premier said thousands of people could appear to take part in public forums.

The inquiry is set to commence this month.