Two years after the devastation of the March 2018 bushfire, residents are still no closer to understanding the cause and origin of the blaze.
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The NSW Department of Communities and Justice said on Friday, the Deputy State Coroner is still waiting on the lodging of independent expert reports, meaning delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic may not be necessary.
"Once these have been considered, the date [for the coronial investigation] will be confirmed," the department said.
A recent letter to a resident from a law firm employed by an insurance company to investigate the potential for legal proceedings seeking losses caused by the fire, details a coronial inquiry directions hearing had been scheduled for May 5 at the Coroner's Court in Sydney.
The letter reveals the long-awaited inquest into the cause of the devastating and fast-moving fire had been provisionally listed for August 3 to 21 in Sydney, with August 6 and 7 to be held at the Bega Courthouse.
The law firm states evidence revealed during the inquest will be relevant to any possible future proceedings for compensation by the insurance company.
They claim to have previously written to the NSW Coroner requesting access to relevant files, which the company claims has so far been declined, and will possibly be reviewed during the May hearing.
The firm said it, along with the insurance company, will be visiting the region over coming days to educate residents free of charge on the proceedings and any documents needed to be collected on any uninsured losses.
In 2018, a preliminary report by NSW Rural Fire Service fire investigators found "electrical infrastructure on Reedy Swamp Road as the likely cause" of the bushfire.
In the following days, state-owned power company Essential Energy denied poor maintenance of its equipment contributed to the bushfire, blaming trees that fell onto its powerlines during the extreme weather conditions as the origin of the fire.
Essential Energy chief executive John Cleland said at the time an initial review showed inspections and maintenance of the area around Reedy Swamp Road were "up to date and in accordance with prescribed standards".
"Preliminary internal enquiries indicate network protection equipment activated as it is designed," he said in a statement.
State Crime Command Detective Sergeant Hassan El Khansa, who was requesting eyewitness accounts and photographic and video evidence, told residents at the Bega Showground evacuation centre at the time, the investigation would be prepared for the Coroner "through the eyes and ears of the community."
Last November, NSW Emergency Services Minister David Elliott incorrectly claimed in the NSW Parliament the coronial inquiry into the fire had been held and the cause of the fire was known.
"If you want to know the causes of the fire then look at the coroner's inquiry," Mr Elliott told Parliament.
According to Bega Valley Shire Council, of the 68 homes destroyed by the fire, 10 new homes have been built, 19 are currently under construction, and four are approved for construction.
"Some people are ready to get going immediately after bushfire loss but others take time to assess their options. That's been the case in Tathra," council said on Friday.
"Some 48 per cent of homes are on their way to being rebuilt. Some people have made lifestyle choices including the elderly.
"It can be a 10 year process for many people coming to terms with what this means for them.
"These are the learnings we've had from what happened following the Black Saturday fires," they said.
Meanwhile, a statement from the Coroner on this summer's bushfire emergency indicates it will likely be a long time before investigations conclude.
"The unprecedented scale of the bushfires, which continue to burn in locations throughout the state, means that these coronial investigations will be complex and take some time to finalise," the Coroner's office said.
"No decisions have yet been made regarding whether coronial inquests into fire-related deaths and/or fire inquiries will be held.
"Police are still investigating the fires and it will take many months before they are able to provide the coroner with briefs of evidence.
"The court is working with a number of professionals and experts, such as NSW Police and NSW Health Forensic and Analytical Science Service, to investigate the circumstances of these deaths as quickly as possible and to support families of those who died, throughout the coronial process."
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