The New South Wales government has announced it will invest AU$192 million over five years in new firefighting equipment such as night-time aerial fleet and upgrades to the local emergency infrastructure to better support firefighters during bushfires.
The funding is the state government's response to the independent NSW bushfire inquiry[1] that underscored a need to equip firefighters with more advanced technology, such as drones, remote sensors, data science, and artificial intelligence, to help them better understand, model, and predict bushfire behaviour, and respond more quickly.
A total of 76 recommendations were made and the state government have accepted them all.
Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott said the AU$192 million will be allocated to protecting life, property, and supporting our emergency management personnel.
"We are committed to continuing to protect the people of NSW and are funding a range of initiatives to support frontline firefighters, extending hazard reduction works, as well delivering better equipment, and support for the natural environment," Elliott said.
"We worked closely with frontline agencies to identify priorities to address key recommendations arising from the inquiry. There is no length we won't go to safeguard communities from disaster."
Read more: Optus and ANU to throw satellites, drones, and robotics at Australian bushfires[2]
The package will be divvied up so that AU$8.3 million will be used to extend the existing integrated dispatch system for the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS), AU$5.4 million will be used to upgrade the RFS aerial fleet and training facilities, and AU$2.5 million for improvements to the RFS Fires Near Me app.
The largest portion of AU$36 million