An independent inquiry into the unprecedented bushfires that have ravaged NSW in recent months has been welcomed by environmentalists while volunteer firefighters are warning against reinventing the wheel.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced the bushfire inquiry on Thursday saying it was crucial to "leave no stone unturned".
The inquiry - to begin this week - will be conducted by two experts over six months and will receive submissions from the public.
"We want it to be timely so that we can ensure if there are any issues we need to deal with we can deal with those ahead of the next bushfire season," Ms Berejiklian told reporters in Sydney.
Former NSW Police deputy commissioner Dave Owens and former NSW chief scientist Professor Mary O'Kane will lead the inquiry.
They will consider the impact of climate change, hazard reduction burns, drought and human activity.
The relationship between state and federal authorities will also be examined.
NSW Labor leader Jodi McKay welcomed the expert panel but wants the premier to make the hearings open to the public.
"I support the terms of reference but please ensure that you give the respect to these regional communities that is deserved," Ms McKay told reporters in Bega.
"Bring that inquiry here and have a public hearing because that is the only way that residents are going to be able to tell their story."
The experts will travel to bushfire-affected NSW communities, Ms Berejiklian said.
The inquiry won't hold public hearings but "there's plenty of opportunities for people to have their say and ... make public submissions," the premier added.
The Nature Conservation Council on Thursday welcomed the inquiry.
"The scale of the losses of life, property, bushland and wildlife requires a thorough examination to ensure we learn the lessons we need to better prepare for the extreme fire conditions that have become a feature of summers in NSW," council chief executive Chris Gambian said in a statement.
But NSW Rural Fire Service Association president Brian McDonough says more than 50 inquiries have been held into Australian bushfires since 1939.
These have produced recommendations directed at improving the management of natural disasters and resources to minimise loss of life and property, he said.
"Many of these improvements, particularly in the area of public awareness, were evident in the recent operational activity as well as greater use of aircraft," Mr McDonough said in a statement on Thursday.
"Shouldn't we then be focusing on the evidence produced during those inquiries and the subsequent recommendations before embarking on yet another costly exercise involving limited resources?"
Mr McDonough nevertheless welcomed the independent inquiry into the NSW bushfires so long as it was conducted quickly.
"Let's not reinvent the wheel," he concluded.
Ms Berejiklian used the announcement to remind the state the current bushfire season was not over.
A total fire ban has been declared for the Monaro Alpine, ACT, southern ranges and southern slopes regions on Friday, due to forecast hot and windy conditions.
Thousands of homes have been destroyed by bushfires in NSW this fire season while 25 people have lost their lives.
Australian Associated Press
