Shoalhaven residents thoughts were with those displaced after fires ravaged the small Far South Coast town of Tathra.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Bawley Point and Kioloa share similarities to Tathra, albeit on a smaller scale, and various members of the Rural Fire Service said they were well aware of the risks of living near a thick, forested area.
One member acknowledged conditions dictate the severity of a bushfire, but the possibility of an out-of-control blaze like that at Tathra was “always there”.
“We’re not too different [to Tathra]. Bounded by National Park to our west, north-west and the coast to the east,” one member said.
“Any hot dry weather normally comes from the west, or north west.”
Another member believed a number of villages along the South Coast like Bawley Point were in a similar situation to Tathra.
Fuel increases during the year and they encouraged residents to be aware of the dangers around their properties.
Another risk factor was the one tar-sealed road in and out of Bawley Point, a RFS member said.
“It adds to the danger at Bawley Point and Kioloa because obviously if we get a fire from the west and that cuts that road off, the two villages are really isolated from any further assistance,” a member said.
“When a big bushfire starts, it doesn’t matter how many men, trucks you throw at it; If that road is cut off, we only have the water from people’s tanks.”
Sporadic mobile phone coverage was a challenge for both two brigades.
The mid-point between Bawley Point and Kioloa is where reception becomes non-existent, they said.
The brigades manage with what they’ve got – pagers, talk to text, telephones – but the members also supported increased mobile phone coverage.
There were talks of a mobile phone tower to be constructed in June at Kioloa which would alleviate pressure on getting messages through to residents during an emergency scenario. It was yet to be confirmed, residents said.
The members’ thoughts were with those affected by the “freak fire” at Tathra.
“An unusually hot day on the South Coast, but these are the sorts of things that people have to be aware of. This can happen to any community at any time,” a member said.