Offenders help Kempsey Shire residents stay bushfire-safe

Kempsey Community Corrections staff and offenders are helping property owners stay safe during natural disasters, installing numbered signposts on remote rural properties to better guide emergency services during bushfires and floods.

Community service work Field Officer Josh Partridge said the team of supervised offenders have worked for the past 14 months to install signage.

“We were approached by the Kempsey Shire Council to help implement the project and we immediately agreed to be involved, recognising it as another opportunity to contribute to the safety of our community,” Mr Partridge said.

“Since then, we’ve been working across a variety of landscapes to install the signage respectfully and professionally.

“The project has been a real hit with the offenders, who recognise the importance of the project and take pride in helping improve the safety of the community in this way.”

The need for more signage was identified in the Macleay Valley Recovery Action Plan as a result of increased concerns for property owners’ safety during natural disasters like the 2019 bushfires.

Following the bushfires, it was evident the lack of signage had impacted on response times and emergency services’ ability to locate properties.

Minister for Corrections Geoff Lee said the Rural House Numbers Program is another way in which CSNSW is working to keep families and communities safe and to reduce reoffending.

“Engaging offenders in programs is a key strategy to engage them in pro-social activities and help reduce the risk of reoffending,” Mr Lee said.

“This program is a win-win for all involved.”

Member for Oxley Melinda Pavey said both the offenders and the community benefit from the Rural House Numbers Program.

“Community service work provides offenders with an opportunity to appreciate what it means to be community-minded and give back something to those around them,” Ms Pavey said.

Kempsey Community Corrections engages offenders in other community service work programs including lawn and garden maintenance for not-for-profit agencies in the Kempsey District, including the community garden in West Kempsey.