Resilience NSW

2022 - 8 - 4

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Image courtesy of "The Mandarin"

Resilience NSW to be wound down, Fitzsimmons stood down (The Mandarin)

The moves to wind down Resilience NSW and stand down its commissioner, Shane Fitzsimmons, follow recommendations of 2022 NSW flood inquiry.

The Fire Brigade Employees’ Union (FBEU) welcomed the news, saying it hoped the closure of the agency would mean the government was taking the role of firefighters “seriously” and hoped the changes would leade to more resources for firefighters. The NSW government is expected to wind down its agency Resilience NSW and its commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons stood down following recommendations of the report from the 2022 NSW flood inquiry. The inquiry — led by chair of the Independent Planning Commission of New South Wales Mary O’Kane and former commissioner of the New South Wales Police Force Michael Fuller — was set up to examine several issues surrounding flood responses, including the preparedness and planning by NSW agencies.

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Image courtesy of "The Guardian"

'He deserves better': former MP defends Shane Fitzsimmons amid ... (The Guardian)

Andrew Constance says former rural fire commissioner and 2021 NSW Australian of the Year has been treated poorly.

“I think he deserves a bit better than this.” An independent inquiry into the flood response has reportedly recommended that the agency, which was set up after the 2019-20 black summer fires, be wound down and Fitzsimmons’ position be made redundant. The former New South Wales minister Andrew Constance has come out in defence of Shane Fitzsimmons after an inquiry into the state’s flood response recommended the Resilience NSW boss’s position be made redundant.

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Image courtesy of "ABC News"

NSW government will move to dismantle Resilience NSW following ... (ABC News)

The NSW government is considering dismantling disaster agency Resilience NSW after a review into the state's flood crisis this year.

"For goodness sake. The inquiry was commissioned to investigate the preparation for, causes of and response to the catastrophic floods across NSW earlier this year. The NSW government will move to dismantle disaster agency Resilience NSW in the wake of a review into the state's record-breaking floods this year.

Ex-NSW minister backs Resilience NSW boss (South Coast Register)

Former NSW minister Andrew Constance has come out in defence of Shane Fitzsimmons after a inquiry into the...

Flood victims have told the inquiry Resilience NSW was "simply not there", while Mr Fitzsimmons said the body was designed to streamline natural disaster responses. Mr Fitzsimmons, the 2021 NSW Australian of the Year, was appointed head of the agency after rising to prominence during the bushfire disaster. "For goodness sake, this is a bloke who saved lives, who was there for my community and our state during Black Summer," Mr Constance said in a video posted to social media on Thursday night.

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Image courtesy of "The Sydney Morning Herald"

Resilience NSW boss to be dumped, agency scaled down, under ... (The Sydney Morning Herald)

The inquiry examined the state's preparedness to deal with major flooding events, while considering the gaps in the emergency response that left inundated ...

Responsibilities like emergency accommodation in evacuation centres should be allocated to the Department of Communities and Justice, which has daily expertise in dealing with people in crisis. Fitzsimmons was forced to defend the response of Resilience NSW to the February-March floods during budget estimates in April, insisting the body had not “dropped the ball” during the crisis. A new deputy police commissioner will also be appointed to emergency and disaster management under the recommendations, a source familiar with the report has confirmed.

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