After a briefing first thing Monday morning at the Rural Fire Service HQ in Wauchope, with incident controller Kam Baker, I toured the Pappinbarra region.
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The sight of the devastation wreaked by Sunday afternoon’s firestorm was breathtaking. To hear first-hand what people had endured was astonishing. To see the impact on homes, sheds, fences, cattle yards, gardens, and pastures was startling. The sense of relief that there was no loss of human life is profound.
The RFS, Forestry Corporation, NPWS, Fire & Rescue NSW, the Police Force, the SES, other agencies and people were so ready, and willing to help.
In the debriefs and analysis to follow, no doubt the level of planning and preparation in the community generally, and in the emergency response agencies specifically, will emerge as a major factor in minimising the losses.
On behalf of the community, I extend my heartfelt appreciation for the effort, and bravery, of those who put themselves and their livelihoods on the line for others.
In the short-term, we now need some rain to extinguish those burning stumps, to grow some pasture for livestock and to lift spirits.
The government has announced that disaster assistance is now available to support recovery. There are seven LGAs receiving assistance in response to the bushfires including Kempsey, and Port Macquarie-Hastings.
This assistance includes help for eligible people whose homes or belongings have been damaged; support for affected local councils for clean up and restoring damaged essential public assets; concessional interest rate loans for small business, primary producers and non-profits; freight subsidies for primary producers.
For information on personal hardship and distress assistance, contact the Disaster Welfare Assistance Line on 1800 018 444.
To apply for a concessional loan, grant or freight subsidy, contact the NSW Rural Assistance Authority on 1800 678 593 or visit www.raa.nsw.gov.au