A New Approach For Moree's Burnt-Out Dwellings

The presence of burnt-out dwellings in Moree has been, and remains, a significant and reoccurring agenda item for Moree Plains Shire Council (Council) and a matter of concern to the community at large.

After Council pursuing various strategies to address the burnt-out dwellings in recent years, the NSW Asbestos Coordination Committee (NACC) along with the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has recognised the challenge facing Council and the Moree community and partnered with Council to develop a standard process for assessing burnt-out houses.

In its response to the bushfires of the 2019/2020 summer, the EPA was a lead agency in working with homeowners, adjoining neighbourhoods and local government authorities as well as other agencies to review hazardous materials at burnt-out houses elsewhere in NSW and therefore, is well placed to apply these learnings to Moree.

From next Monday 9 November, representatives of Council and the EPA will be joined by members of NSW Fire and Rescue and Public Works Advisory in Moree to commence an inspection program for a number of affected properties throughout South Moree.

Assessment of each dwelling will be carried out both on foot and with the use of drones by the multi-agency team. 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.

Council’s General Manager, Lester Rodgers is pleased that the assistance of other State Government agencies has been secured for this part of the project, noting that, “The onsite inspections by a team of specialists across a number of fields is the first phase of the assessment process.

“The assessment of each affected property will follow a similar methodology used during the bush fire assessments.

“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”, said Mr Rodgers.

Beginning Monday 9 November, the multi-agency team will be on the ground in Moree. Community members with questions regarding the assessments and program are encouraged to direct these enquiries to Council on 6757 3222. 

Moree Plains Shire Council Mayor, Katrina Humphries is a passionate advocate for the clean-up of the burnt-out dwellings in South Moree.

“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.

“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,” said Mayor Humphries.

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.