A Nymboida resident who was in the middle of the Glen’s Creek Road firestorm last Wednesday says calls for council to slash about 80 acres of land adjoining his and two other properties have resulted in a limited response that placed lives in jeopardy.

Ian Casey said he has made several requests for council to slash 80 acres surrounding the Nymboida weir that adjoins his property, the last on October 17.

“They’ve slashed a little bit of it, probably about 20 acres about a month ago, and it’s about an 80-acre property that goes up over the ridge, but they said they had to get a bigger machine in because of all the gum trees that have grown as it hadn’t been slashed,” he said.

“I sent them another message on October 17 saying it was urgent because I was watching the fires up the back on the hills and nothing has been done.”

Mr Casey, who experienced the devasting 2019-20 black summer bushfires that destroyed 85 homes around Nymboida and was involved in the production of the film ‘Up Armidale Road’ that detailed the aftermath of the blaze, said conditions were extreme last Wednesday and could have destroyed the village when emergency warnings were issued.

“When the fire came down Glen’s Creek Road this way it was a major situation, we had four helicopters and five planes attacking the fire from the air and they dumped some red retardant in a paddock to stop the fire hitting Nymboida village,” he said.

“Everyone’s houses were at risk and there have been some houses lost from the fire.

“If it wasn’t for the aerial resources and the fire fighters on the ground, more properties would have been lost and the village could have been destroyed.”

Mr Casey said for months the RFS has been reminding people about the extreme fire season expected and warning them to clear their properties of anything that will burn in a bushfire.

“Council would be having a go at anyone else whose property is putting people at risk, but council can get away with it because they’re council…it’s not good enough,” he said.

Having lived in the Nymboida area for 10 years, Mr Casey said he knows a lot of people who lost their houses in the 2019-20 fires, and he said conditions before this year’s fires were worse.

“As far as I’m concerned, I think that council have left Nymboida vulnerable, you had all of these extra resources trying to stop the fire on their (council) land, when the fire was out of control in so many areas and turned into a firestorm,” he said.

“It’s just not good enough, they put the whole village of Nymboida at risk.”

A Clarence Valley Council spokesperson said a Bush Fire Hazard Reduction Certificate Environmental Approval for Works was issued in May to authorise a moderate intensity burn of 21.8374ha of Council-owned land at 107 Glens Creek Road at Nymboida.

“This hazard reduction burn did not eventuate over the winter months due to unfavourable conditions when it was planned to take place,” the spokesperson said.

“It was resolved to slash the property instead.

“About a quarter of the property was recently slashed.

“However, it was found that a larger slasher would be required to complete the remainder of the property.

Council is preparing a Property Management Plan for this recently purchased property which can be found in council’s 2023-24 Operational Plan.

This article appeared in the Clarence Valley Independent, 1 November 2023.