New Resilience NSW agency announced
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has announced the creation of a new NSW Government agency, Resilience NSW, which will drive disaster preparedness and recovery approach for the state. She also revealed that Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons AFSM will lead the new agency.
Berejiklian said NSW is proud of Commissioner Fitzsimmons’ role during the recent bushfire season and for his outstanding service over many decades to the RFS.
“The NSW community has shown extraordinary resilience in the face of many disasters – bushfires, drought, flood and now the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“We know the next six months will be very difficult but we must already turn our mind to recovery. Through Resilience NSW we will re-double our efforts to prevent, prepare and recover from crisis which impact NSW.”
Commissioner Fitzsimmons said he was honoured to have the opportunity to continue to serve the people of NSW in this vital new role, and to work alongside the leadership of the state’s combat agencies.
“Resilience NSW will lead the whole-of-government prevention, preparedness and recovery effort. It will oversee and coordinate emergency management policy, service delivery and all aspects of disaster recovery at a state, national and international level,” he said.
“There was never a more important time to make sure that communities devastated by drought, bushfires and now COVID-19 are getting the help they need to rebuild and recover.”
The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) has welcomed the formation of the agency. ICA Head of Risk and Operations Karl Sullivan said: “It is the right time to establish a new agency as we all work together to tackle the issues arising from COVID-19, while still supporting the hundreds of communities that have felt the impact of bushfires, hailstorms, floods and storms during the 2019-2020 season of natural disasters.”
“Commissioner Fitzsimmons, an expert in natural disaster preparation, prevention and management, is the ideal person to head Resilience NSW. The ICA looks forward to working closely with Commissioner Fitzsimmons and his agency to help communities reduce their vulnerability and bounce back faster when disasters occurs.”