<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>An NSW MP has accused the state government of leaving the state at "catastrophic" risk this bushfire season after completing 11 per cent of the hazard reduction burn targets.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Rural Fire Service has only cleared 40,000 of 372,000 hectares of land since July 1.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Nationals Leader and Coffs Harbour MP, Gurmesh Singh, said the unpreparedness has left the state with an "unacceptably high" amount of flammable vegetation, and the severe bushfire near Bulahdelah that closed the Pacific Highway is a "sign of things to come".</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/social-security-payments-increasing-indexation/ce15dab9-fa66-4ea6-aea7-cb5a637468ba" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Cash boost for million-plus Aussies in just weeks</span></strong></a><strong></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Right across NSW, people can see the warning signs, communities are watching fuel loads rise, and the hazard reduction work simply hasn't been done," he said. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Increased fuel loads and poorly maintained fire trails are dangerous, and make it harder for our communities to evacuate, and more challenging for crews to gain access during times of emergency."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The government labelled this financial year's goal "ambitious", with the 372,000 hectares including a large backlog of land that could not be burnt due to prolonged wet weather and flooding since 2021.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/nsw-bushfire-season-warning-that-state-is-facing-catastrophic-risk/e0699946-9973-41db-b7fe-6ecc39208be8" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Rural Fire Service said weather is again hampering their efforts, but the 40,000 hectares cleared is a 10,000-hectare increase from the same time last year and a "promising position to be in by this stage".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Hazard reduction burns are complex, and they require careful planning," a spokesperson said. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Often, there is only a handful of days each year where the conditions are right for controlled burns to go ahead."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/private-health-people-paying-more-getting-less-ama-says/680984f6-3ec4-47dd-9c81-41093623322e" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Aussies paying more for private health insurance and getting less</span></strong></a><strong></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Crews typically undertake nearly 60 per cent of hazard reduction burning after the bushfire season in autumn. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In 2024-25, the Rural Fire Service was only able to burn 100,936 hectares – just 27 per cent of its hazard reduction target. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Rural Fire Service is also investing in education campaigns to help communities prepare for the bushfire season.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We encourage communities to do what they can as bush fire preparation is a shared responsibility, with hazard reduction only part of the solution," a spokesperson said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Keeping gutters clear, trimming overhanging branches, and having a bush fire survival plan in place are all critical steps that every property owner should take to prepare for the threat of fire."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS 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