THE people of Coonabarabran have waited far too long for answers about the handling of bushfires that destroyed homes and livelihoods at the beginning of last year.
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Almost 20 months after the fires razed 53 homes and burnt through most of Warrumbungle National Park, a parliamentary inquiry will finally begin in September, the NSW government has revealed.
Shooters and Fishers party MLC Robert Brown, who is set to head the parliamentary inquiry, pushed for one precisely because he wanted answers quickly.
He was concerned a coronial inquiry would take too long.
Yet now the parliament's investigation will only begin after the coroner has finished work.
It was in November last year that Mr Brown said: "There are a lot of locals who feel that a long time after the fires, things still aren't moving as they should".
Coonabarabran deserves to know whether the National Parks and Wildlife Service was remiss in its efforts to contain the fire.
If the service is at fault, scrutiny should come swiftly so changes can be made. If the service is not blameworthy, then doubts about its performance should be dispelled as soon as possible.
The state government says the parliamentary inquiry needed to be delayed so its evidence would not compromise the coronial inquiry.
The government should have done more to avoid this clash, or least provided more warning the two could interefere with one another.
As it stands, one search for the truth has blocked another.