New South Wales is "entering uncharted territory" with fire emergencies all across the coast of Australia's most populous state, Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott said in a speech to parliament on Tuesday.
"What we've burnt through so far this bushfire season, and we haven't even reached summer ... is actually three times the amount we burnt in the total period of last season," he said.
"This is a very real emerging disaster which we need to take on and consider as being something that this state may not have ever seen before."