Review of the operations of the NSW Reconstruction Authority

Review of the operations of the NSW Reconstruction Authority

Chair’s foreword

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Chair’s foreword

I am pleased to note at the very outset that the work of the NSW Reconstruction Authority

continues to get better and better. Is it perfect – no. But does it continue to learn and grow –

absolutely yes.

The NSW Reconstruction Authority is still a relatively new government agency that was only

established in late 2022. Since that time, NSW has experienced a wide variety and never-

ending series of events that has ultimately called on the Authority to bend and stretch and flex

and adapt.

In taking note of the relentlessness of the work falling to the NSW Reconstruction Authority, it

is also essential to remind ourselves that their work is not just to be a recovery agency but also

an agent of preparation, prevention and resilience.

This inquiry had a focus on the severe weather event that struck the broader NSW East Coast

in May 2025, particularly on the Mid-North Coast region including Taree and surrounds. The

inquiry took this opportunity to also reflect on the flooding that affecting the Central West of

NSW in 2022, and to turn an eye to the power outage that struck the Far West of NSW in late

2024 and the severe weather caused by ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred in March 2025.

The work of the NSW Reconstruction Authority is exposed to the highest of expectations. This

single agency is expected to be so many things to so many people under a wide range of

circumstances. Often, the NSW Reconstruction Authority is meeting people at a time when

they are in the midst of crisis.

Whether it is a power outage in the Far West, a flood in the Central West, a landslip on the

North or South Coast, fires raging through the Hunter Valley, or a terrorist attack on the

beaches of Sydney, we are increasingly turning to the NSW Reconstruction Authority for

action. I have a personal concern that there must come a limit to the capacity of this one

agency and that future government should be mindful of such a limitation.

This report provides a number of findings and recommendations based on what we as the

Committee heard from participants along the way.

One of the more important themes was the critical nature of funding streams and the speed

with which the necessary funding could be provided. I acknowledge that disaster recovery

funding is a complex beast stretching across federal, state and local government, not to

mention private citizens and insurance companies. It was clear during the inquiry that taking

fast and decisive action is important in the recovery process, while funding questions and

answers were often slow to be developed and resolved.

I also want to highlight in this foreword the incredible generosity of spirit across every

community when they were called on to respond to a disaster event. Spontaneous volunteers

is the term used to describe people that simply want to step up and help others. This

wonderful human quality is well intended but does need to be more carefully managed going

forward, so that those in need have a clear understanding of who exactly is stepping in to help

them and what specifically their role is.