Ms Goward said under the new law, anyone caught deliberately starting a bush fire will face a maximum sentence of 21 years imprisonment – up from 14 years.

“We are putting firebugs on notice, if you do the wrong thing, you will face the consequences,” she said.

“We must all work together to protect our region from a bush fire disaster, making sure arsonists are held to account for their reckless and dangerous behaviour.”

The increased sentence will apply to the offence, set out in section 203E of the Crimes Act, of intentionally causing a fire and being reckless about it spreading on public land or someone else’s property.

The cost of disaster relief and recovery following NSW bushfires has risen from $11.4 million in 2015-2016 to $23 million in 2016-17.  

The Attorney General will also ask the Sentencing Council of NSW to:

Attorney General Mark Speakman said there was no excuse for putting people’s homes, farms, stock and lives at risk, particularly when the drought and hot, dry weather during spring and summer were already a deadly combination.

“Under these conditions, bush fires spread quickly and are hard to stop, so it’s important there are harsher penalties in place to deter potential firebugs,” he said.

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Minister for Police and Emergency Services Troy Grant encouraged residents to be vigilant during the bush fire season.

“The community often act as our eyes and ears, so if you see any suspicious behaviour and believe someone has started a fire on purpose, it’s absolutely vital that you report it to authorities immediately,” he said.

The NSW Rural Fire Service has more than 150 investigators who work alongside the NSW Police Force to investigate arson.

Residents can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 if they suspect someone has deliberately lit a fire.

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