Despite fires continuing to burn out of control, Bega Valley Shire Council says it has started planning the recovery effort.
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General manager Leanne Barnes has been named deputy chair of a Regional Recovery Committee, established by six bushfire affected councils in collaboration with the Office of Emergency Management.
"The state will bring all key support agencies together to work with us to assess damage, determine people's needs and start the next critical stages, including the transition from current evacuation centres to disaster welfare assistance, to best support communities across our whole shire," Ms Barnes said.
The committee now spans the Bega Valley, Eurobodalla, Shoalhaven, Snowy Monaro, Snowy Valleys and Queanbeyan-Palerang regions, with council staff working alongside other agencies to restore water, sewer, electricity, telecommunications and supplies to towns and villages impacted by fire.
Council said they continue to focus on the immediate safety, needs and comfort of the people directly affected by the Border Fire, the Werri Berri Fire, Badja Forest Road Fire and the Myrtle Mountain Road Fire, which are still burning out of control.
Ms Barnes said planning is in place to support individuals, families and businesses as they safely move back into their communities, despite the ongoing nature of the current bushfire disaster, and council will be ready with information and services to support people as needed.
Council has also established an internal Recovery Action Committee focusing on health and wellbeing, agriculture and livestock, business and tourism, infrastructure, waste and environment, donations and disaster relief, communications and community engagement.
"There'll be dedicated pages for recovery information on council's website and community meetings will be held across the shire starting in the next one or two weeks," Ms Barnes said.
Recovery Coordinator for Southern NSW Dick Adams will visit the Bega Valley next week after meeting with NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Acting Minister for Emergency Services Anthony Roberts.
Mr Adams is a retired NSW Police Deputy Commissioner with 35 years of service. He is a former State Emergency Operations Controller and has extensive experience as a recovery coordinator having led the bushfire recovery efforts in Wyong, Lake Macquarie and Port Stephens in 2013.
Recovery information will be released regularly in a range of formats will be made available through known community hubs, Ms Barnes said.
"We know that many people who have lost property will have limited communications, so we will continue to get information to you in as many ways as possible and we encourage people to get to community meetings to hear the latest developments, ask questions and to support each other," she said.
"So we can deliver support services to those impacted, we will have to refocus business operations and councillors will consider reports about this at the January meeting.
"In the meantime, I urge everyone to focus on your safety and wellbeing and to take care of one another at this particularly challenging time."
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