THE ecological impact of the Orroral Valley Fire, which has burnt through 80 per cent of the Namadgi National Park, will be a priority for the ACT government in the months ahead, says Chief Minister Andrew Barr as the State of Alert for rural and remote parts of the ACT was lifted on Sunday (February 9) afternoon.

Favourable weather across the past week, including the recent rainfall, has led to the State of Alert being lifted.

“January has been a challenging month for our city. We have endured a number of extreme weather events including record breaking heat and destructive storms, as well as the risk of bushfire damage from both the Beard Fire and the Orroral Valley Fire,” says Mr Barr.

“We are forming a clearer picture of the impact of this summer of disasters and have already started efforts to support households and businesses to recover. The impact of extended periods of poor air quality, as well as the travel ban from China, will be felt by many local businesses and organisations for some time.”

The State of Alert was first declared January 2 to allow the ESA to further prepare in the case of an emergency.