The NSW Government deserves blame for poor management of the bushfires that ultimately devastated Canberra in 2003 in advice given to the ACT Coronial Inquiry by Counsel assisting the Coroner.
"The proposed findings could expose NSW taxpayers to millions in compensation for the disaster which saw almost 500 homes burned and four lives lost." according to NSW Shadow Minister for Emergency Services Andrew Humpherson
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"The NSW government has been running away from any responsibility for fires which burned into Canberra and now the ACT Coroner has been advised to apportion some of the blame to this government.
"This puts the lie to statements that everything that could be done was done.
"This advice to the Coroner highlights that planning was poor and disorganised and initiating more fires with incendiary devices the day before the firestorm worsened the already extreme circumstances.
"The NSW government's poor management of these fires has exposed taxpayers to many millions of dollars in compensation.
In the final day of hearings today the NSW government will ask the ACT Coroner to not make any findings in regard to the NSW government and its Rural Fire Service or National Parks Service on the basis that the fires were in a different jurisdiction.
"Today is a desperate attempt from the NSW government to absolve itself of any blame for the Canberra fires.
"It is contemptible to argue that criticism should not be made of events and incompetence simply because it occurred over the border - an arbitrary line on a map.
The proposed findings damn NSW authorities for:
- taking the wrong approach and failing to set time frames in managing the fires
- failing to consider alternate strategies to contain the fires
- showing a lack of commitment in investigating containment lines
- allowing significant delays in commencing back-burning
- wrongly using incendiaries in worsening conditions which may have exacerbated the fire storm
- missing opportunities to reduce the fire intensity and possibly avoiding the fire going into Canberra at all
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