The NSW agency responsible for preparing and recovering from natural disasters will get a $115 million funding boost the state government says is needed to fully fund the work.

The government said on Monday the funding would take the NSW Reconstruction Authority’s budget to more than $321 million over four years.

The commitment comes as the NSW Rural Fire Service warns of a high-risk bushfire season ahead, with only about 24 per cent of planned hazard reduction burns done due to wet weather.

The government said the funding would help the agency be “the first entity of its kind in NSW with the resources needed to proactively reduce the impact of future disasters before they happen, as well as respond effectively after”.

“We know future natural disasters aren’t just a remote possibility – more are coming. It’s why we need to invest now to reduce the risk to communities, and then be ready and prepared to respond when disaster strikes,” Premier Chris Minns said in a statement.

The announcement follows the government in June revealing that the Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation (NRRC) – the state body that manages flood rebuild in the region – would be rolled into the Reconstruction Authority from July 1.

The agency was set up late last year after criticism of its predecessor Resilience NSW, which was established following the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires.

– AAP

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