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It was 45 minutes before Defence gave ACT Emergency Services the coordinates of this fire.
It would burn through about 80 per cent of Namadgi National Park and over the border in NSW, destroying homes at Bumbalong. Tharwa and southern #Canberra suburbs were on alert for days. https://twitter.com/abccanberra/status/1351994643987091456
It would burn through about 80 per cent of Namadgi National Park and over the border in NSW, destroying homes at Bumbalong. Tharwa and southern #Canberra suburbs were on alert for days. https://twitter.com/abccanberra/status/1351994643987091456
These photos were released in response to questions from @abccanberra.
Read @mickinman's exclusive story here: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-01-21/defence-helicopter-pictures-show-namadgi-orroral-valley-fire/13076752
Read @mickinman's exclusive story here: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-01-21/defence-helicopter-pictures-show-namadgi-orroral-valley-fire/13076752
Here is @mickinman and @Craigallenabc's earlier reporting, revealing the delay in passing on the Orroral Valley ignition point.
ESA logs show Mt Tennant watch tower reported white smoke 19 minutes after ignition. Confusion re: its location followed: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-30/defence-caused-orroral-valley-fire-didnt-tell-authorities-where/12933306
ESA logs show Mt Tennant watch tower reported white smoke 19 minutes after ignition. Confusion re: its location followed: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-30/defence-caused-orroral-valley-fire-didnt-tell-authorities-where/12933306
Chief Minister Andrew Barr, asked about this this morning, repeatedly referred to reporting a "witch hunt".
"I'm not interested in a witch hunt or a blame game here and it's not going to undo the fire. It's not going to... nothing to be done now about what happened a year ago."
"I'm not interested in a witch hunt or a blame game here and it's not going to undo the fire. It's not going to... nothing to be done now about what happened a year ago."
Barr: "The only value in all of this, aside from a bit of media interest, potentially a witch hunt against a couple of defence force personnel, are whether there are any lessons that can be learnt around the operation of that sort of equipment in a bushfire scenario."
(Editor's note: Yes. Learning the lessons is exactly the point. That's why these questions are being asked, and it's frustrating, given the impact of this fire, that answers have only been revealed by media Freedom of Information requests)
Barr continues next:
Barr continues next:
Barr says "last year was extraordinary" and Defence involvement unusual and not likely to occur again soon. "So there is the possibility that lessons can be learned, but this is not an urgent matter today. It will not be an urgent matter in 1 month, 2 months, or 6 months."
Barr: "I am not interested in witch hunts about Defence personnel. Yes, it was regrettable that the incident occurred, it was regrettable that they didn't call it in earlier. What are we seeking to achieve in a witch hunt? Absolutely nothing. So lets move on."
TBH, extraordinary to describe this as a witch hunt to "fill newspaper columns and dead air in January on media outlets".
A witch hunt would be asking for names and prosecutions. Literally noone is doing that. People are asking for transparency, to know processes have improved.
A witch hunt would be asking for names and prosecutions. Literally noone is doing that. People are asking for transparency, to know processes have improved.
That last one was me, obviously.
And I'm grateful for the tenacity and reporting of my @abccanberra colleagues, shedding light on a devastating emergency for our region. Noone is coming after individuals. Everyone wants to do everything we can to ensure this never happens again.
And I'm grateful for the tenacity and reporting of my @abccanberra colleagues, shedding light on a devastating emergency for our region. Noone is coming after individuals. Everyone wants to do everything we can to ensure this never happens again.
