Welcome to this week’s editorial,

According to the World Meteorological Organiza on Australia is set for a hot, dry El Niño.

Before all the climate denialists start to thump their keyboards I suggest they read on.

Fact: Summer is coming.

Fact: Summer gets hot.

Fact: if there isn’t much rain the bush gets dry.

Fact: Dry bush is dangerous. Already our bush is drying out.

Fact: Lots of dry bush a er a few years of wet means there is MORE BUSH.

Fact: Our region comprises around 3,421.7sq km of land, between Durras and Wallaga Lake. Around three quarters of this mountainous region is na onal park or state forest.

Fact: Somewhere in the Eurobodalla over the coming summer there will be a forest fire.

Unknown: Could it be of a scale that we had a few years ago? We really have no idea but yes, it could be.

According to former Fire and Rescue NSW Commissioner and Councillor with the Climate Council Greg Mullins the Climate Council’s El Nino media briefing that “we’re set for a bad year” warning that “three years of rain” from La Nina have created the perfect storm for fire condi ons this summer.

Given all the irrefutable facts above and the warnings that are coming from those who know best about fires it is me to ask the ques on “What have we, as a community, learnt and put into ac on in preparedness for the next fire onslaught?

In March 2020, nearly three and a half years ago, the Eurobodalla Shire Council Submission to the NSW Government Inquiry - 2019-20 Bushfires opened with:

“The extreme fire event experienced across Eurobodalla over the 2019-20 summer caused unprecedented damage to the natural and built environment, burning approximately 80% of the Eurobodalla LGA, and sadly cost three lives. It is inevitable that bushfires will again be experienced within Eurobodalla in the future.”

While Council’s recommenda ons to the Royal Commission were primarily focussed on big picture changes around planning, funding and resourcing they also managed to include: x) NSW Government fund recommended improvements to the resilience and preparedness of Council owned buildings used as evacua on centres.”

“ix) the NSW Government should review the arrangements for evacua on centres including the training of addi onal local NSW Government personnel who work within the EOC and evacua on centres. Catering arrangements should also be reviewed.

Where are these evacua on centres ? According to the out of date Eurobodalla Emergency Management Plan Emergency Management Plans (State, Region and Local), Sub Plans and Suppor ng Plans are public documents. However, they do not contain contact details or loca ons of opera ons centres, evacua on centres or recovery centres. This and other sensi ve informa on is maintained separately and has a restricted and controlled distribu on.

Meanwhile in Bega Valley they are happy to advise the loca ons of their evacua on centres.

Why all the talk around evacua on centres? If you cast your mind back to the 2019-20 fires you might recall that the essen al informa on people had regarding where to go when advised to evacuate their homes was “bugger all”. Communica ons at the me were woeful and there was false messaging being cast across social media for want of any informa on at all. In the end clarity was given that the evacua on centres were at Hanging Rock Community Centre, Moruya Basketball Court and Narooma Leisure Centre. All three were ill prepared as evacua on centres. If there were requirements of a facility that met a standard to serve as an evacua on point none of these buildings would have passed muster. Alas, over the coming weeks they were put into service each facility failed.

Council’s submission to the NSW Government Inquiry - 2019-20 Bushfires advised that the Eurobodalla

Emergency Opera ons Centre coordinated the establishment and de-establishment of evacua on centres in Batemans Bay, Moruya and Narooma based on the fire predic ons from the RFS.

They then advised that the opera on of the evacua on centres was coordinated by the NSW Department of Community and Jus ce with volunteer agencies including the Salva on Army, Anglicare and Red Cross performing their respec ve roles . According to their submission early January 2020 saw up to nine and half thousand people register through the three evacua on centres.

The submission did not men on the failures of these facili es when it came to sanita on, nor the immense heat, the poor security, the inadequate resourcing and the failed protocols that should have been put in place and audited periodically to ensure readiness by both Council, lead agencies and local volunteer groups.

Council’s submission said of the lack of preparedness “It is important to remember that the arrangements in place are intended to keep people safe and to manage the expecta ons of the community in the difficult circumstances prevailing at that me. This was perhaps best summed up by the Manager of the Moruya Evacua on Centre when addressing the many hundreds of people at a briefing where it was highlighted that ‘this is a life boat situa on – we are not on a cruise ship’.

He may well have been referring to the gastro that was now ripping through the facility, most likely caused by failed toilets and inadequate ablu on and sani sa on provision.

Council added in their submission “The fact that people remained well in these circumstances was predominately due to the volunteers that ‘stepped up’. With no power, limited toilets and showers, no bedding, extreme temperatures and significant overcrowding, it is very fortunate and a credit to those people who took control of the situa on that a severe outbreak of illness did not eventuate”.

During the emergency, in addi on to the three evacua on centres, we are also advised that many more of the community made use of public reserves, golf courses and clubs. What was clear then is that the community DID NOT know what to do when told to evacuate. What is clear today is that the community STILL DON”T know what to do, where to go, what to take and not take, when advised to evacuate.

Council’s submission to the NSW Enquiry offered that “The RFS should consider addi onal community educa on in this respect to help improve the self-reliance of the community”.

What we do know is that li le, if any spending has been done to improve and prepare our evacua on centres.

What we do know is that the Eurobodalla Local Emergency Management Plan 2019 is well overdue for review given that it was ac vated in response to an emergency in 2019-20 and that deficiencies were iden fied.

It is rumoured that Council has enlisted an ex-council staff member to come in from re rement to assist in the oversight of Eurobodalla’s Emergency Plans.

While the revision of the Emergency Plan is stated as the responsibility of the Local Emergency Commi ee what is missing is community involvement.

Eurobodalla Council may well welcomed and par cipated in the NSW Bushfire Inquiry but have failed to engage with their own community who remain at a loss when it comes to being clearly informed of the evacua on facili es that will be available to them, the officially recognised Neighbourhood Mee ng Places, the suppor ng venues that will be serviced with back up power along with food, water and trained agency personnel. The last emergency crisis brought a succession of kneejerk ac ons, poor communica ons and proof of poor prepara on. Given that the fires WILL return one wonders what measures have been put in place behind the scenes by Local, State and Federal governments as there is li le if any evidence on display of proac ve prepara on for the next event. What is your plan? Un l next—lei

Boaters urged to stay off water with Gale Warning forecast

Marine Rescue NSW is urging boaters not to go out on the water in a number of regions tomorrow with a Gale Warning forecast for the Hunter, Sydney, Illawarra and Batemans Coasts.

West to northwesterly winds are expected to increase across tomorrow (Saturday July 8).

Winds are forecast to reach up to 74 km/h (40 knots) on the Illawarra and Batemans Coasts while 35 km/h (35 knot) winds are expected for the Hunter and Sydney Coasts.

Marine Rescue NSW Inspector Stuart Massey said the forecast conditions won’t be favourable for boating.

“When a Gale Warning is in place the best advice is to stay home.

“The forecast winds will make boating dangerous, it simply isn’t worth the risk.

“When a Gale Warning is issued, winds are averaging between 34 knots and 47 knots which is between 63 and 87 kilometres an hour, they are potentially very dangerous for boaters.

A Strong Wind Warning is also forecast for Sydney Enclosed Waters and the Macquarie and Eden Coasts tomorrow.

“We ask all boaters to check and monitor weather conditions every time they go out,” Inspector Massey said.