THE people of the Coonabarabran district have had a win in their push for answers about the handling of a Warrumbungle bushfire that destroyed more than 50 houses.
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The blaze that started on January 12 is to be the subject of a NSW Legislative Council inquiry, the second probe announced.
The inquiry set to take place early next year is separate from the coronial inquiry, expected later next year, which one farmer who lost 200 cattle has predicted will be a "whitewash".
It will look into "activities of National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) officers in the national park in the week preceding the fire" and examine the "significance of a small fire in a camping area within the national park, and actions taken by NPWS before the declaration of the fire under section 44 of the Rural Fires act 1997".
Many residents who lost their property have said they blame the NPWS for doing too little too late.
The inquiry is to be chaired by Shooters and Fishers party member Robert Brown, who said he was aware of feedback critical of the NPWS but did not wish to pre-empt the findings of the inquiry.
"The terms of reference allow us to inquire into that aspect of it and we will do so," Mr Brown said.
"Suffice to say that we wouldn't have included that if we hadn't had some representation from the community up there that they are not happy with the way the thing was handled... The people of Coonabarabran are the ones that have pressed for this inquiry.''
Jon Russell, spokesman for the Volunteer Fire Fighters Association, which has been heavily critical of the way firefighting procedures were implemented and the lack of use of volunteers with local knowledge, welcomed the new inquiry.
"We would like to get to the bottom of the whole thing and the way it was poorly managed," Mr Russell said.
"On a day of predicted horrendous weather conditions, incendiaries were dropped to do preventative burning."
Stephen Lill lost more than 200 cattle including prized stud bulls.
He said the upper house inquiry should establish what really happened "rather than a coronial whitewash".
"There have been five bushfires in national parks and the coronial inquiries have all been the same," Mr Lill said.
"The people responsible get promoted and everyone lives happily ever after, apart from the poor bastards who get burnt out.
"They are as guilty as hell."
NSW Office of Environment and Heritage chief executive Sally Barnes said in June the feeling of loss by staff and members of the community was compounded when they were subject to unsubstantiated allegations, while a coronial inquiry was being conducted.
A spokeswoman for NPWS said it was co-operating fully with NSW Police on behalf of the Coroner.
