NSW government told to release flood inquiry report which recommends dismantling Resilience NSW – Michmutters
Categories
Australia

NSW government told to release flood inquiry report which recommends dismantling Resilience NSW

The head of Resilience NSW says it would be “inappropriate” for him to comment on reports the disaster agency will be scrapped after its response to Lismore’s devastating floods earlier this year

Resilience NSW was heavily criticized for its response to the floods in the Northern Rivers during February and March and was under review as part of a recent independent flood inquiry.

The inquiry’s recommendations, led by NSW Chief Scientist and Engineer Mary O’Kane and former police commissioner Mick Fuller, were handed to Premier Dominic Perrottet five days ago.

The inquiry was commissioned to investigate the preparation for, causes of and response to the catastrophic floods across NSW earlier this year.

The ABC understands a proposal to dismantle Resilience NSW will now be presented to cabinet.

Aerial photo of Lismore in flood in 2017
The Lismore community is hoping the findings of the report will help with flood recovery.(ABC North Coast: Ruby Cornish)

Resilience NSW is headed up by Shane Fitzsimmons, who led the government’s response to the Black Summer bushfires as Commissioner of the NSW Rural Fire Service (NSWRFS).

Mr Fitzsimmons has so far refused to comment on the report or its outcome.

“It would be inappropriate for me to comment at this stage regarding the independent report,” he told the ABC this morning.

“It is a matter for the government to consider the details of the report and make their decisions.

“We have been asked to provide comment and feedback as part of their deliberations.”

.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *