Reconstruction Authority comes under fire over Curraweela response

Eight months on from the Curraweela fire, landowners said assistance which the NSW Reconstruction Authority (RA) led them to believe in April would be forthcoming, had not been delivered.

"Everyone is feeling very let down," property owner Frank Startari said.

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The Curraweela fire broke out at a Craigs Road property on March 16 and burnt 4437 hectares across some 50 properties, a house, farm equipment and outbuildings, fences, fodder and hundreds of head of livestock. A disaster declaration followed.

Mr Startari said RA teams spent two days in April assessing individual property losses.

"Their view was that it was horrific, that the disaster rating would be upgraded and a range of assistance would flow...They were to write a report and elevate it to the federal government," he said.

A federal representative also attended the property visits.

Mr Startari said several assistance measures were discussed, including filling of replacement tanks with water; removal of burnt materials from properties and of burnt trees on public and private land; $10,000 landholder grants and $75,000 primary producer grants.

"None of this has occurred," he said.

This was despite the Rural Assistance Agency issuing a newsletter stating that affected landowners would be able to access the assistance.

The Post has sought comment from the NSW Reconstruction Authority

The RA did cover some costs associated with BlazeAid's camp at Taralga, from which volunteers helped repair fencing. Mr Startari said he did not believe anyone took up RA's offer of low-interest loans.

Nearby owner, Jenny Diprose said there had been a lot of talk but no action, which was only "exacerbating people's trauma."

Both argued that hundreds of burnt and dead trees were overhanging public roads and properties, endangering people's safety and impeding fencing replacement.

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Meantime, many owners were either not insured or under-insured for fencing and infrastructure damage. Mr Startari said no one was insured for livestock loss and 600 head perished in the fire.

In addition, the non-clearance of burnt trees had not only hampered fencing repairs but was endangering people's safety, he claimed. As such, they could not utilise BlazeAid. Mr Startari said he and numerous other owners had burnt and leaning trees on their properties, while others lined the Taralga to Oberon Road, threatening to topple on the busy thoroughfare.

In August/September RA commissioned an arborist to assess the trees and removal cost. Upper Lachlan Shire Council staff also attended. But Mr Startari said nothing had happened since.

"People don't have the financial means to remove trees," he said.

"We didn't start the fire. We all planted trees because we were told 20 years ago it was the right thing to do."

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Removal costs are estimated at $1.2 million. Australian Agricultural Centre CEO, Jo Marshall, coordinated several fire-recovery workshops for Curraweela landowners. She said RA had since advised the tree clearing and clean-up would only proceed if Upper Lachlan Shire Council funded 40 per cent of the cost.

"The council has had 12 disasters and can't afford that money," she said.

"...RA has reneged on its promise to remove trees from private property and now they're saying they can't do it unless the rest is funded. I'll be meeting with them to discuss these issues for future handling of other disasters so no other community has to go through this."

Ms Marshall said volunteers gave their time to run the workshops and participants felt positive about land regeneration possibilities. But if she'd known RA would reverse its tree clearance assurance, she wouldn't have held them.

"We acted in good faith based on what RA said they would do. Now we will look for other avenues," Ms Marshall said.

Jenny Diprose, whose property was first in the line of fire, said she'd spent about $20,000 removing 100 trees.

A large burnt tree had fallen in her yard, helped by heavy rain after the fire.

"The ones on the road are 50 to 100 years old. The road would need to be closed to remove them," she said.

"RA came out here with their consultant (arborist) and said they would do this and that, but it was all talk...The fire was in March and since then nothing has happened. It is quite disgraceful."

Ms Diprose lost 12 hectares and several goats she was agisting but counted herself lucky her house and sheds were saved. She did not have farm insurance and has paid for fencing herself.

"It's been very traumatic for people and it has been exacerbated by broken promises and lack of action," she said.

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Mr Startari has written to two state ministers and the RA's chief executive, expressing his dissatisfaction with the response.

"At no time were we told the assistance would not be available...," Mr Startari wrote.

"Why are you providing so much assistance for the flood affected properties up north, yet the devastation in Curraweela is commensurate?

"...Do you understand how cruel it is to send out well-intentioned and compassionate staff to fill our heads with offers of assistance and then not deliver?"

He wrote that the lack of action was compounding people's already 'significant' mental health issues.

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