A multi-agency team will be on the ground assessing a number of burnt-out dwellings across south Moree from Monday, as part of the first phase in clearing them up.
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Last month Moree Plains Shire Council called for urgent action to address the issue, after being fed-up by a lack of progress in its attempts to pursue various strategies to address the issue.
Earlier this year, the NSW Asbestos Coordination Committee (NACC) and the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) partnered with council to develop a standard process for assessing burnt-out houses.
Now, council's calls for action have been answered and that partnership is coming to fruition, with a team to commence an inspection program on a number of burnt-out properties throughout south Moree from Monday, November 9.
Representatives from council, the EPA and members of NSW Fire and Rescue and Public Works Advisory will be part of the multi-agency team, which will assess each dwelling on foot and through the use of drones.
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The drone footage of each affected property will allow specialists to understand the volume and type of materials onsite. The drones will be managed in accordance with privacy principles.
The assessment of each affected property will follow a similar methodology to what was used during the assessments of homes affected by the 2019/2020 summer bushfires. The EPA was a lead agency in working with home owners, adjoining neighbourhoods and local government authorities, as well as other agencies, to review hazardous materials at burnt-out houses.
Council's general manager Lester Rodgers said he was pleased that the assistance of other state government agencies has been secured for this part of the project.
"The onsite inspections by a team of specialists across a number of fields is the first phase of the assessment process," he said.
"With the multi-agency team undertaking the assessments for the duration of next week, it is hoped that an assessment will be completed in respect of nearly all affected properties in Moree.
"Given the nature of the properties, the inspection process must understandably follow appropriate protocols and be diligently and thoroughly undertaken.
"Council's objective is certainly to gather the data on as many properties as possible next week but the community should be assured that this process will be completed for all properties in the fullness of time.
"We are grateful that this process is kicking off before the end of 2020 noting that late spring is potentially a very busy time for many of the agencies involved.
"We want to be transparent with our community on this issue and set expectations accordingly. The team on the ground next week are happy to field questions from neighbouring residents regarding the work they are doing on the day or provide general information about asbestos in burn-out and dilapidated dwellings."
Moree mayor Katrina Humphries is a passionate advocate for the clean-up of the burnt-out dwellings in south Moree and is pleased that other government agencies have come on board to help address the issue.
"I live in south Moree so I am not only familiar with the issue at a council level, but I genuinely understand the concerns of affected neighbourhoods," she said.
"It has been a long-standing issue for many burnt-out houses in south Moree; property owners seize the opportunity to take their insurance money and walk away from their property, leaving a fire-damaged house for someone else to deal with.
"As a council, we have advocated long and loudly for the insurance industry to help us (and other towns like Moree) to ensure that property owners in these circumstances do the right thing but as a local government authority, our hands are really tied.
"I am pleased to see that inspections will be carried out shortly and that we are being supported through this process by a multitude of government agencies who have listened to our cries.
"This is a step in the right direction."
After the assessments, reports will be provided to council on each inspected property to determine the extent of the clean-up costs and process required to safely clear the properties.
Those reports will help council prioritise its response. More broadly, the reports will also help the state government understand the scale of the problem, and develop next steps.
Community members with questions regarding the assessments and program are encouraged to direct these enquiries to council on 6756 3222.
