A late submission by Wingecarribee Shire Council to the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements has left councillors demanding answers.
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A question with notice was submitted by councillor Garry Turland at the July 8 Wingecarribee Shire Council meeting.
Cr Turland had previously spoken out about the lack of submission by the council.
Cr Turland asked for councillors to receive a copy council's submission to the Royal Commission into Natural Disaster Arrangements.
Council's response was that a copy of the submission to the Royal Commission into Natural Disaster Arrangements had been provided to councillors.
Cr Turland moved a recommendation to recognise that the submission document was two months late and was insufficient in detail.
He also moved a recommendation for the general manager to provide a detailed report as to why both submissions to the royal commission and NSW bushfire inquiry were not provided and why it lacked in detail.
Addressing council Cr Turland said that submissions had closed on April 28 and had begun in February and that the same four page document was used for the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements and for the NSW Bushfire Inquiry.
"I find it extraordinary that it's four pages long," he said.
"Wollondilly Shire Council's submission is more than 30 pages, Shoalhaven City Council is 110 pages and Eurobodalla is 80 pages.
"It is a failure of this council by not providing a reasonable document and it's not even dated"
"How do we expect to have represented our community in a manner that we can hold our head up and say we have done the right thing by the 80 homes, 200 buildings and two lives that were lost."
Cr Turland stated that the Mayor Duncan Gair and Wollondilly Shire mayor Matthew Deeth sat together on a bushfire management committee.
"I have asked for a copy of the minutes of the committee meeting and it has been confirmed by Wollondilly Shire Council that the royal commission and the NSW Bushfire Inquiry were mentioned," he said.
Councillor Ken Halstead said he was appalled that the council hadn't responded to the royal commission and inquiry in a proper or timely manner.
"It's disappointing to get a document that is three pages long submitted after the date," he said.
"You've got massive submissions by Eurobodalla, Blue Mountains, Bega Valley, Shoalhaven and Wollondilly. They've all put in very responsible reports.
"It appalls me to think that anyone could be evasive of this not happening.
"In my opinion it is gross mismanagement that we didn't do a more comprehensive report."
Councillor Graham McLaughlin said he sympathised with Cr Turland and agreed with him to some extent.
"I have read the report and highlighted what worked and didn't work," he said.
"It wasn't extensive but it did, in my opinion, cover a lot of the points that you expect to be covered. It is disappointing that it did not come through on time.
"I think in the future we will expect better and more prompt response."
Councillor Ian Scandrett said he was gobsmacked when he discovered that the council hadn't made a submission.
"This was our lives for many months this year," he said.
Cr Turland in his right of reply said the document lacked detail.
"When you read the document we have put forward, how can we go to the government and say we need some money to upgrade some of the issues we faced over bushfire season?" he asked.
"For instance the power was turned off at Hill Top and the reservoir nearly ran dry. So could we not go for some big diesel generators to make sure that it doesn't happen again?
"The tankers on the line at Wingello, a fantastic initiative, but they should be there for the next fire season and beyond. They came in after the event. It is not in this document.
"Evacuation areas and roads - there is nothing in this document that says we need five million dollars to fix a road to make sure we had clear evacuation routes to get the people out.
"We moved people from Mittagong to Moss Vale when the fires came from the north and then we moved everyone from Moss Vale to Mittagong when the fires came from the south. Nothing is in this document.
"Wombeyan Caves Road which failed after the fires, it's not our responsibility but it could be a major evacuation route for people who live down there.
"We might've been able to go for government grants to fix it but its not in our document."
The recommendation for the report was passed unanimously by councillors.
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Vera Demertzis
Journalist at the Southern Highland News covering council yarns and community news. Got a tip or a story to tell? Email vera.demertzis@southernhighlandnews.com.au or call on 0427 250 908.
Journalist at the Southern Highland News covering council yarns and community news. Got a tip or a story to tell? Email vera.demertzis@southernhighlandnews.com.au or call on 0427 250 908.
