Two items of interest appeared in the Mercury recently.
1. An announcement that “Integral Energy will pay $9.5 million to residents and businesses devastated by the firestorm that swept from Appin to Stanwell Tops during the Black Christmas fires of 2001”.
“The state-owned energy company accepted responsibility for the blaze. Chief Executive Richard Powis said the company was devastated by the pain it had caused.”
“After a year-long police investigation, a coronial inquest has confirmed the fire was caused by sparking power lines on Appin Road.”
“An Integral Energy spokesperson said that the company would work quickly to visit people who lost homes and businesses in the fires. Every individual case will be looked at on its merits and will be treated fairly… Payments will be made as soon as possible.”
2. NSW Premier, Bob Carr, visited Kelly’s Falls on 8 March to announce (obviously very quietly!) that Labor would add 36,000ha of bushland in the Illawarra, Heathcote and Southern Tablelands to the state’s national parks and reserve system.
The idea is to create a 600km chain of national parks and reserve, from the Hunter region to the Victorian border, more than doubling the protected areas along the Illawarra escarpment.
“The Illawarra needs much, much more to protect the escarpment from development in the areas abutting the State Recreation Area,” Mr Carr said.
Local areas specifically identified were:
• Areas at Bulli, Madden’s Plains, Kellys Falls, Farmborough Heights and Kembla State Forest would be included in the Illawarra Escarpment State Conservation area, increasing its level of protection and the land protected from 1050ha to 2576ha.
• A further 244ha would be added to the Dharawal State Conservation Area, near Stanwell Park, protecting several waterways.
• Heathcote National Park will increase by 420ha, linking it to the Royal National Park.
With Mr Carr on his visit to Kellys Falls were his wife Helena, Member for Keira David Campbell, Heathcote Labor candidate Paul McLeay and Wollongong Labor candidate Noreen Hay. Linda Bunclark