NSW Government officials given 'bird's-eye view' of devastation caused by the Carrai East bushfire

Following the flight over the burnt landscape, the treasurer and minister, along with the NSW RFS Commissioner, were briefed by the RFS Lower North Coast Superintendent Lachlann Ison at the Kempsey Control Centre on the Carrai East bushfire.

"Today the treasurer and I have been able to get a bird's-eye view of the devastation in the Mid North Coast caused by the fires, particularly Kempsey. It's quite clear that the devastation is beyond what everybody expected," Mr Elliott said.

"The treasurer has now seen first hand what needs to be done when it comes to the recovery."

Treasurer Perrottet announced the Government will give $220,000 to support communities across the state that have been devastated by the recent fires.

$100,000 will go directly to BlazeAid while the remaining $120,000 will go to councils to continue recovery work.

"We need to make sure the recovery gets underway," Mr Perrottet said.

"We want to get these communities up and running as soon as possible and today's announcement will kick start that approach."

The state government said it had already committed $160,000 to affected local councils, before Sunday's announcement.

The federal government said it had paid $1,695,600 in support to people in NSW and Queensland in the past week.

Kempsey mayor Liz Campbell spoke to the Argus following the announcement today and said it's a start for the communities, like the Macleay Valley, that have been impacted by the fires.

"It's a start of the conversation about how communities affected by the fires will get the support they need," she said.

"It's not enough but it is a start. We need to keep pushing and ensure we can get the funds we need to recover."

Mr Perrottet said the Government will stand behind the communities until they are back on their feet.

"Any financial support we can provide we will do it to help communities get back on their feet. The Government is committed to ensuring that support is there," he said.

Member for Oxley Melinda Pavey thanked the treasurer for supporting fire-affected communities and reiterated that the Government will continue this support.

"Our Government is going to stand by these communities. This is just the beginning," she said.

The announcement comes as some members of the Macleay Valley return to burnt landscapes and fire-ravaged homes, looking ahead to what will be a long road to recovery.

"This will be a long and complex recovery that will affect thousands of households," NSW bushfire recovery coordinator Euan Ferguson said.

"We are starting to get a feel of what the needs of the communities are. Here in Kempsey we will have one of four welfare assistance points from tomorrow and we will work towards recovery for the community."

Following the briefing at the Kempsey Control Centre, the ministers and treasurer visited the Kempsey Evacuation Centre and spoke with local residents who have been directly impacted by the fires.

The Carrai East fire has burnt through 106,780 hectares and is at Advice level. The NSW RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons also saw the full extent the blaze had on the community this morning.

"There is a real strong sense of enormity of the challenge ahead of us with recovery, with how much country these fires are burning through," he said.

"We will be facing more challenging conditions in the middle of this week. We are expecting to see worsening conditions on Tuesday through to Thursday.

"We expect to see widespread and severe fire dangers as we head into the middle of next week and we need to ensure we brace ourselves for another band of bad weather."

The RFS is encouraging residents to stay up to date on the current fire situation through the Fires Near Me app or website.

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