Armidale Regional Council, together with representatives from Rural Fire Service (RFS) and Local Land Services (LLS), will host the forum from 7pm.

The meeting will present an opportunity for delegates from each of organisations to speak one-on-one with residents and answer any queries they may have. 

The recovery assistance point will continue to operate until the end of Friday with representatives from Disaster Welfare Services, Red Cross, LLS and FACS present to offer relief.

Council representatives are also on deck to provide advice on recovery matters including waste disposal. 

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A spokesperson from the Disaster Recovery said the team understands every disaster, and every community, is different and are “here to listen and adjust to those needs”.

“We’re not interested in posing one particular model on the people of Tingha. We’re here to give the community what is needed and to connect them to services needed to recover.”

A Tingha Plateau Fire Recovery Committee has been established and is being chaired by Armidale Regional Council, with support from Inverell Shire Council. 

The recovery group will include three subcommittees which will meet this week: Health and Wellbeing, Agriculture and Animals, and Infrastructure, Waste and Environment.

Recovery personnel from the Office of Emergency Management will work closely with the councils, the Department of Primary Industries, Local Land Services, rural resilience officers and other essential parties on an appropriate recovery strategy.

The RFS has urged residents to be alert to residues from fire suppressant retardants dropped by aircraft during firefighting operations.

An RFS statement advised residents to wash skin which comes in contact with the residue, to avoid drinking water contaminated by the retardants and provides guidance on cleaning up the residue.

Visit Armidale Council’s website to read the alert.