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The NSW Shadow Minister for Emergency Services travelled to the Hawkesbury on Friday for a community briefing hosted by the Bells Line of Road Business Council (BLOR Business Council). The Council invited a cross-section of local organisations and residents to speak directly with the Shadow Minister about gaps in the region’s emergency planning and the pressing need for better state-level support.
Community Concerns Front and Centre
Participants highlighted that while neighbouring councils such as the Blue Mountains have invested heavily in roadside water tanks and designated emergency evacuation areas, these same strategies have been repeatedly rejected in the Hawkesbury. The Hawkesbury Bush Fire Management Committee — and specifically Hawkesbury Fire Control — has argued such measures might encourage residents to stay and defend rather than evacuate. Local residents and business leaders, however, told the Shadow Minister that this stance leaves the community dangerously exposed.
Of equal concern was the NSW Rural Fire Service’s failure to address the devastation caused by it large-scale strategic backburning. Community representatives described how, during the Black Summer fires, RFS-initiated burns escaped containment lines, leading to catastrophic losses: 214 structures destroyed, the Blue Mountains rail line and Zig Zag Railway severely damaged, and an estimated one billion native animals killed.
Speakers expressed alarm that the RFS has since refused to acknowledge mistakes stating in the NSw Special Coronial Inquiry in the escaped Mt Wilson strategic backburn that they had “no lessons to learn” and would “do the same again” — raising fears that when the floods stop, the same approach will be repeated in future fire seasons.
A Call for Accountability
The BLOR Business Council emphasised that Hawkesbury’s unique geography — flood-prone lowlands, long evacuation routes, and a mix of rural and peri-urban communities — requires tailored mitigation and preparedness measures. “Our community is resilient and resourceful, but we cannot be left with less protection than our neighbours,” one participant told the Gazette.
The Shadow Minister listened to the concerns and committed to taking them back to Sydney for further discussion within the Opposition’s policy development process. Residents expressed hope that the visit would lead to stronger commitments from both major parties, especially around ensuring consistency in fire mitigation strategies and meaningful community consultation.
For the Hawkesbury, where the scars of flood and fire are still fresh, the message from Friday’s gathering was clear: residents expect transparency, accountability, and investment in proven strategies that prioritise community safety over bureaucratic resistance.
“The people of the Hawkesbury deserve the same level of protection as those in the Blue Mountains or anywhere else in NSW,” says Fiona Germaine of BLOR Business Council said. “We are calling for evidence-based mitigation, honest consultation, and an end to blanket policies that fail our unique community.”
