A new authority tasked with rebuilding after the onslaught of natural disasters in NSW has hired its first interim head, as Resilience NSW leader Shane Fitzsimmons is fired and his agency scrapped.
Michael Cassel has been appointed as the acting CEO of the NSW Reconstruction Authority, which has been formed in response to a recommendation from an independent flood inquiry.
A government-commissioned report into the flood response by chief scientist Mary O'Kane and former police commissioner Mick Fuller, proposed the body among 28 recommendations.
The now scrapped Resilience NSW will be subsumed within the new body after it came under fire for its bureaucratic response to flood victims in the Northern Rivers in unprecedented floods in February.
The defunct agency's former chief Shane Fitzsimmons, who led the state response during the devastating 2019-2020 summer bushfires, has been axed.
Emergency Services Minister Steph Cooke paid tribute to the once popular commissioner.
"Resilience NSW staff, led by Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons, have worked incredibly hard this year to support flood-impacted communities across our State," she said on Friday.
"Commissioner Fitzsimmons has worked tirelessly for the people of NSW for more than 30 years, and I want to sincerely thank him and his entire team for their work.
The NSW Reconstruction Authority is a statutory corporation reporting to both the Planning and Emergency Services ministers.
Mr Cassel, the Department of Planning and Environment's secretary, will remain in his current role as well as serving as acting CEO of the newly formed authority.
A permanent CEO will be hired through the public service in early 2023, the government said.
Planning Minister Anthony Roberts said the authority would focus on better preparing NSW communities against future disasters and building more resilient places that will protect lives and property.
"The authority's remit represents a new and unique alignment between disaster and strategic planning, which does not currently exist," he said.
"This new alignment will be an integral part of how we design our future cities and respond to the increased challenges in existing areas."
The government on Wednesday announced a $200 million package to bolster NSW's flood rescue capability in agencies such as the State Emergency Service and Fire and Rescue NSW.
The bulk of the package, nearly $160 million, will be allocated to bolstering NSW's flood rescue capability in agencies such as the State Emergency Service and Fire and Rescue NSW.
Rescue crews will have access to extra dedicated flood rescue vehicles, including 60 inflatable rescue boats and 16 high-clearance vehicles.
