The Auditor-General has issued a scathing report on the NSW Government’s administration of Bushfire Recovery Grants, in the wake the 2019–20 Black Summer bushfire season.

The report found that the fast-track stream of the grants process lacked ‘integrity’, ‘transparency’ and ‘consistency’.
 
The Audit Office also found that the office of the former Deputy Premier John Barilaro set minimum thresholds of $1 million, resulting in 26 of the 27 projects being in Coalition-held electorates.
 
Three highly impacted Local Government Areas in Labor-held electorates including the Blue Mountains, the Central Coast and Tenterfield (Lismore) were excluded from fast-track funding.
 
The Central Coast LGA suffered an economic impact of $163.3 million; Blue Mountains LGA $65.4 million; and Tenterfield $9.7 million, and were all overlooked in the fast-track round.
 
Chris Minns, NSW Labor Leader, told media today:
 
“Even communities were that suffering from a terrible natural disaster were subject to porkbarreling.
 
“It shouldn’t matter who you vote for, if you’ve just gone through a disaster, the government should be there to help, not check who you voted for at the last state election.”
 
Quotes attributable to Jihad Dib, NSW Shadow Minister for Emergency Services:
 
“Today’s report shows the government has never governed for everyone. Shameless pork-barrelling of community safety is an unacceptable breach of trust.
 
“People lost their lives and homes. This is a horrendous example of a government more interested in playing politics than doing the right thing.”

CHRIS MINNS MP
NSW LABOR LEADER
 
JIHAD DIB MP
NSW SHADOW MINISTER FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES