It is going to take some time to unravel the folly of the 'Bushfire Bob' Carr state forestry policies.
There were warnings 20 years ago that the lock-up of state forests and associated lack of attention to fire prevention would inevitably result in catastrophic fires.
Before Bushfire Bob came to office, the amount of land in NSW for national parks and reserves was 4.5%, now its 9%. More importantly, much of the coastal bushland now locked up was previously prudently managed state forest.
Fuel loads were kept down by logging programs, regular thinning and cattle grazing. But sadly those activities in state forests have been banned for a long time.
Bushfire Bob and a three year drought, the perfect firestorm.
