NSW of Australia announced an independent inquiry into fire crisis

NSW of Australia announced an independent inquiry into fire crisis
New South Wales is one of the most affected states by the ongoing fire crisis. Source: Getty Images
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Daily US Times, New South Wales: The state of New South Wales of Australia has announced an independent inquiry into the ongoing bushfires, promising to “leave no stone unturned”.

The six-month inquiry will examine how the fire broke out and how the state responded to it.

Gladys Berejiklian, NSW Premier said the independent inquiry would also shed the light into how climate change, human activity, and other factors had contributed to the blazes.

The bushfire considered the most severe in Australia’s history broke out in September last year. It affected several states and NSW is one of the most affected. 25 people killed in NSW alone by the fire and thousands of homes have been damaged.

NSW Premier hopes the inquiry would allow the state “to learn from this season and the catastrophic conditions we’ve faced, and apply these learnings for the future”.

She said: “NSW is incredibly proud of the efforts of all our emergency services personnel and volunteers throughout this ongoing bushfire season, but the scale of these fires has been unprecedented and we must leave no stone unturned.”

Former NSW Police deputy commissioner Dave Owens and former NSW chief scientist Professor Mary O’Kane will lead the inquiry which is set to begin in the coming days.

The inclusion of climate change in the inquiry comes amid debate over the issue in Australia, with critics accusing Prime Minister Scott Morrison of inaction.

Australia is still heavily reliant on coal-fired power that makes the country one of the highest emitters of carbon pollution per capita.

But Prime Minister Scott Morrison has insisted that Australia is meeting the challenge “better than most countries” and fulfilling international targets.

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