Singleton Mayor says government can do more for disaster recovery
Published on 28 February 2024
Mayor of Singleton Cr Sue Moore says while the NSW Government’s new State Disaster Mitigation Plan is a “brilliant step in the right direction”, there were still several state government processes that need to be urgently addressed to improve ongoing disaster recovery efforts.
Australia’s first State Disaster Mitigation Plan (SDMP), published last Friday by the NSW Reconstruction Authority, revealed the cost of building and infrastructure damage from disasters could reach $9.1 billion per year by 2060 if mitigation steps are not taken, as more frequent and severe events take an increased toll on homes, businesses and government infrastructure. The projected figure is almost triple the current average for NSW.
Cr Moore said while looking to the future and being proactive with disaster prevention actions was the way forward, the Singleton community were still recovering from the extreme flooding event that inundated the Local Government Area (LGA) in June 2022.
“The NSW Government should be congratulated on their practical and innovative new plan that provides a clear pathway for levels of government and communities to work together to prepare for future disasters,” she said.
“I was particularly thrilled to see action items outlined on the roadmap including improved Local Emergency Management Committee capacity and capability, resourcing and capability building in local councils, and the creation of the ‘Get Ready NSW’ fund to support councils deliver local awareness and preparedness activities ̶ these are all items Singleton Council has been calling for via our Advocacy Agenda, and go a long way to ensure we’re doing what we can now to reduce risk in the future.
“In saying that, there are items not addressed in the plan that require urgent attention by the state government ̶ both during the immediate disaster response and ongoing recovery ̶ namely a centralised approach to recovery with appropriate resourcing, and a focus on rebuilding ‘better’ including expediting disaster declarations and funding approval timelines.”
Cr Moore said the financial modelling outlined in the report was particularly concerning, and the state government could learn a great deal from Singleton Council’s experience to ensure communities across the state devastated by disasters don’t have to wait several years to see integral recovery works begin.
“What’s most disappointing for our community is that almost two years on, Council is still waiting on approval from the state government for five of our flood recovery projects – including the Putty Valley package, Lilavale Track bridge, Singleton Roads package, Cassels Road causeway and the final flood rectification package – these projects alone costing $5.2million to deliver.
“Delays in disaster funding support aren’t just a point of frustration for our residents – they have a detrimental flow on effect negatively impacting Council’s budget — we’re only eligible for funding for the original issue, not the worsening of our assets over time as we wait for months on end for funding.
“A pothole is a great example of this – Council is eligible for disaster funding for the initial defect, but not what happens to the road when a pothole is left exposed for 18 months. This across an entire LGA, and with a road network as large as Singleton’s, equates to hundreds of thousands of dollars that Council must find in its budget.
“The NSW Government have a real opportunity here to expedite process improvements to ensure communities devastated by disasters don’t have to wait years on end to see repair works begin like our community have been forced to endure, and I will continue to advocate to the Minns Government, especially the Minister for Emergency Management The Hon. Jihad Dib and the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces The Hon. Paul Scully and their teams, to see these changes come to light.”
ENDS