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To: National Parks NSW
Restore Exit Roads through National Parks from Huonbrook Valley.
Restore roads from Huonbrook exiting to Lismore and Murwillumbah through the two National Parks. After the Black Summer 2019 /2020 fires, Huonbrook Valley was evacuated due to fires on three sides with no other exit except the one road to Mullumbimby. Our community was left in great danger of loss of life and homes.
Why is this important?
The Nightcap National Park and the Mount Jerusalem National Park surround the valley. Originally these National Parks were State Forests and the roads were maintained well enough by government to exit south to Lismore through the then named Whian Whian State Forest and north to Murwillumbah over Mount Jerusalem. Those two roads are now impassable due to years of neglect and in fact have a barrier across North Rocks Road to the south.
The great importance of restoring these roads is that it provides the Huonbrook community an exit in case of fires threatening the valley as was obvious in 2019. By sheer incredible luck the wind changed at a crucial moment and saved dozens of homes and lives. The local Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade were heroic but the fires were too powerful and spread over huge areas and moving extremely fast. They recommended evacuation immediately. With only one exit out and fire across the only road at 3am there was a virtual traffic jam on the long and winding Huonbrook road to Mullumbimby. It was a potential tragedy and could have been avoided if the forest and mountain roads were still passable. Does it take loss of life to get an exit plan from our government?
The great importance of restoring these roads is that it provides the Huonbrook community an exit in case of fires threatening the valley as was obvious in 2019. By sheer incredible luck the wind changed at a crucial moment and saved dozens of homes and lives. The local Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade were heroic but the fires were too powerful and spread over huge areas and moving extremely fast. They recommended evacuation immediately. With only one exit out and fire across the only road at 3am there was a virtual traffic jam on the long and winding Huonbrook road to Mullumbimby. It was a potential tragedy and could have been avoided if the forest and mountain roads were still passable. Does it take loss of life to get an exit plan from our government?