Annual reports

The ongoing drought across much of NSW in 2004-05 threatened to bring with it another season of severe fires. Thankfully, that did not occur.

The past year has presented a number of significant new challenges for the NSW Rural Fire Service, both with administering new aspects of legislation and consolidating the many projects in which we are engaged.

There is no doubt that the review year 2002-2003 was a watershed for\ the NSW Rural Fire Service, both in terms of operational performance, and the acceptance of new legislative responsibilities and accountabilities.

This year was a major milestone year for the Service. A number of key events occurred through the twelve-month period including the transfer of former Council employed Fire Control staff to the Service followed by one of the most adverse fire seasons recorded in NSW for many years.

In 2001, our Centenary Year, there is good reason to pause and consider our achievements and to honour the generations, the hundreds of thousands of volunteers, who played a role in our development.

During what was a relatively quiet year in terms of firefighting activity the Service continued to focus strongly on the development of contemporary management principles and practices.