It is just on a year since the Mt Currowan fire terrorized the Eurobodalla shire killing four people, destroying 500 homes, and affecting thousands of lives. One of the key recommendations of the bushfire royal commission was to establish a national aerial firefighting fleet "to be tasked according to greatest need".
Having promised to respond positively to the bushfire tragedy, the federal government has rejected this vital recommendation. In so doing it is rejecting a "sovereign aerial firefighting capability" to share resources across states and territories.
All expert opinion confirms the crucial role such a fleet would have. Many claim the November 26 lightning strike on Mt Currowan could have been extinguished within a week if tankers had been used in the difficult terrain. Instead, the fire raged like a monster for weeks.
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