The Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) is calling for feedback on draft guidelines to help communities and Councils plan for natural hazards such as bushfires, drought and floods.
Minister for Planning, Rob Stokes said the recent flooding, which devastated parts of the State, emphasised the need for DPIE’s draft Strategic Guide to Planning for Natural Hazards in NSW.
“In the last few years, we’ve experienced some of the worst drought, bushfires and flooding on record so it’s important we continually learn and adapt how we plan for these hazards,” Mr Stokes said.
“This Draft Guide supports the findings of the Bushfire Royal Commission that we need to better address legacy risk in our communities by making sure that strategic land use planning builds resilience to known hazards,” he said.
Minister for Police and Emergency Services, David Elliott said that between 2009 and 2019, NSW was affected by 198 declared natural disasters which resulted in significant losses and cost the State approximately $3.6 billion per year.
“That’s why we need to future proof our regions rather than reacting to disasters when they occur – prevention and mitigation are critical,” Mr Elliott said.
He said DPIE’s Draft Guide was comprised of eight guiding principles, to consider natural hazard risk early; protect vulnerable people and assets; adopt an all-hazards approach; involve the community in conversations about risk; plan for emergency response and evacuation; be information driven; plan to rebuild the future, not the present; and understand the relationship between natural processes and natural hazards
DPIE’s 37-page Draft Guide, including information on how to have a say, can be accessed at this PS News link.
