A Royal Commission hearing focused on the local government response to bushfires did not include input from Wingecarribee Shire Council.
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This week the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements focused on the roles and responsibilities of local governments to prepare, respond to and recover from natural disasters.
Wollondilly Shire Council presented at the Royal Commission on June 24, and mentioned its partnership with Wingecarribee Shire Council.
Local Government NSW representatives also spoke in the interest of councils across the state.
However a Wingecarribee Shire Council spokesman said council did not make a submission to the Royal Commission and therefore was not invited to speak.
A Royal Commission spokesperson said it would not be possible to call witnesses representing all fire-affected councils.
"Witnesses were drawn from a variety of local and regional councils from across Australia, as well as the peak bodies in the sector, the local government associations," the spokesperson said.
"In preparing for this week, the Commission was assisted by general submissions from numerous local councils and community members, comments responding to an issues paper published by the Royal Commission on June 5 and several responses to compulsory notices to give information.
"From this, the Commission has selected a large body of written material, which has been tendered as exhibits and made available to the public on the Commission's website."
The spokesperson said the commission supported a "broad examination of issues at a national level and witnesses with diverse experiences relevant to the work of the Commission".
"Hearings have been carefully planned to draw out the issues identified through a review of the extensive material gathered by the Commission in a short period of time."
It is understood some individual property owners from across the Wingecarribee Shire may have provided information to the Royal Commission.
"Council has been working closely with Resilience NSW and will be hosting a number of Zoom (virtual) meetings for bushfire-affected residents," a Wingecarribee Shire Council spokesman said.
"The first was held last week and included representatives from Laing O'Rourke, the Red Cross, council and the Commissioner of Resilience NSW Shane Fitzsimmons."
Firefighters fought several bushfires from November to January including the Green Wattle Creek fire, the Morton fire and the Currowan fire.
This week crews continued to clean-up bushfire-affected areas.
Visit the Royal Commission website to view Wollondilly Shire Council's submission with references to Wingecarribee Shire Council.
