News Archive

The North Australia and Rangelands Fire Information (NAFI) fire-tracking website has received $729,000 of federal funding, allowing the service to continue operating for another year. The NAFI website was developed by Charles Darwin University as a real-time fire tracking tool, providing satellite maps of active fires and comprehensive information on fire history across the north.

More support for bushfire-impacted primary producers across Australia was announced on 23 June 2020. The forestry industry, wine grape producers, and apple growers will soon benefit from $86 million in funding provided by the Australian Government.

In the lakeside village of Conjola Park, residents relive memories of houses seemingly spontaneously combusting, birds dropping from a black sky, a roaring wind and taps with no water, as a firestorm enveloped them on New Year’s Eve 2019. Trauma comes with seething anger in this New South Wales south coast community, where one in every three homes has been destroyed and three men lost their lives.

Residents had no warning, no road out, no power or phone lines, and a failing water supply when an inferno ravaged Conjola Park and its tourist-thronged neighbour, Lake Conjola.

On 11 May 2020, the Australian Government announced over $650 million in funding to accelerate locally-led bushfire recovery.

Part of the $2 billion National Bushfire Recovery Fund, this package will support the delivery of local recovery plans and projects, help boost community wellbeing, assist forestry industries, strengthen telecommunications capabilities, and nurture native wildlife and habitats back to health.

The NSW Government continues to support bushfire-affected communities, announcing today $8.5 million for Operation Outreach, which is aimed at ensuring everyone who needs support gets it.

“Operation Outreach will be undertaken in two stages – the first step will see dedicated support officers ensure contact has been made with every single person who has been impacted by bushfires and actively seek out anyone who has not made contact.

Local councils in some of NSW's worst-affected bushfire areas are being criticised for their plans to spend recovery funding on upgrading sporting fields and preschools untouched by flames.

The government has been praised for committing an additional $150m for wildlife and habitat recovery after the recent bushfire crisis but conservationists also warn it should be coupled with stronger policy to protect species and address threats related to climate change.

Six months ago, the Tumut Community Association (TCA) was calling for fire breaks to be made around populated areas in the Snowy Valleys.

“We were and are frustrated and very concerned that the fire breaks were not done along with other essential work of slashing grass and removing vegetation and rubbish around the perimeter of Tumut and in the region of the common,” said the TCA’s Christine Webb.

Over Australia's Black Summer, Shane Fitzsimmons led the fight against the bushfires that burned all over New South Wales.


As the Rural Fire Service (RFS) Commissioner, he was on the front line as families grieved the loss of firefighters and those unable to escape the ferocity of the blazes. There's "no way", he says, anyone could come out unscathed.

It has been a tough few months for Josh Collings since his home in Victoria's north-east was burnt to the ground in January's bushfires: the rubble was only cleared last week.

Mr Collings said he had been told it would only take contractors three to four days to clear his rubble away, but it took them two weeks.

Owners of properties recently damaged or destroyed by bushfire are being urged to register today to be involved in the NSW Government and Australian Government funded clean-up program and to answer the phone when contractor Laing O’Rourke calls.

Bushfire survivors have launched legal action to try and force the New South Wales Environmental Protection Authority to develop a climate change policy. The case in the NSW Land and Environment Court has been brought by the Environmental Defenders Office on behalf of the advocacy group, Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action.