THE flames that spewed over Newcastle more than a week ago are likely to be an enduring image for many in the city. For hundreds who were in its shadow, though, the situation that has unfolded in the aftermath offers a continued reminder of what could easily have turned "catastrophic".
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More than 200 people this week remained unable to return to their homes due to contamination concerns linked to the building's asbestos roof. Islington Public School remained closed on Thursday, with people in hazardous materials suits combing streets for debris connected to the fire. The Hunter can count itself lucky that such a response, although prolonged, began fairly quickly. Frustrations among those in the eye of this particular storm are understandable, and reporter Nick Bielby's coverage of worries about the delay in beginning to deal with fragments in this newspaper were extensive.
While a response can always be faster or more efficient, it is worth remembering parts of this state have at the same time faced what is now a national disaster that involved many of the agencies involved at Wickham. That is not to downplay the Annie Street fire's scale. In a March 5 media release, Fire and Rescue NSW dubbed the blaze "the largest emergency incident in Newcastle since the earthquake in 1989".
That scale, and the difficulties in getting works underway, make it all the more galling that waivers are apparently being put before clean-ups in Wickham, Islington and Maryville. This region is no stranger to lingering problems connected to contaminants improperly handled, or not handled at all, when they first emerged. Williamtown residents live with the impacts of PFAS, the same chemicals at the centre of a major clean-up at Truegain's Maitland site.
The smoke has cleared since the neighbouring Ampol fuel depot was the biggest risk associated with the blaze, and certainly questions over its future are unlikely to disappear any time soon.
What is questionable, however, is the apparent willingness to put liability of government agencies ahead of their responsibility to give residents a timely helping hand in a situation in which they bear no fault. As in Lismore, people expect help to arrive efficiently in the wake of a disaster. If allaying bureaucratic fears of being held accountable is such a priority, it is a telling indictment on where loyalties of those supposed to protect us actually lie.
