With the forecast of a long hot summer ahead, the man entrusted with overseeing the Illawarra's response to any serious bushfire risk remains cautiously optimistic.

Rural Fire Service District Manager Superintendent Martin Surrey says that while the Bureau of Meteorology is predicting one of the hottest summers on record across Australia "they're also saying it could be a wet season as well."

"That's really the unknown. It's likely we're going to see the return of hot days and storms in the evening," Supt Surrey said. He's hoping those wet evenings will dampen the risk of any serious bushfire outbreaks across the region.

"Of course, it only takes two to three days of warm, blustery weather and the bush can dry out pretty quickly."

Supt Surrey said the local RFS brigades were all appropriately resourced and ready to respond if and when required. He also hasn't ruled out more hazard reduction burns in the weeks ahead "if weather conditions are suitable."

The RFS District Manager downplayed any concerns that the region's key planning document, the Illawarra Bushfire Management Plan 2015-2020 appears to be four years out of date,

Under the Rural Fire Act 1997 every regional bushfire management plan must be reviewed and updated within each successive five-year period. The aim of the Bushfire Management Plan (BFMP) is "to minimise the risk of adverse impact of bushfires on life, property and the environment."

Supt Surrey said the Illawarra had received time extensions in updating the regional plan and the delay was partly due to a new methodology in which crucial scientific information is being plugged into a big data base at Melbourne University.

He confirmed that the Illawarra's BFMP is into its third and final stage before being signed off and "the majority of areas rated as being at extreme risk in the current plan have been confirmed for the updated plan. A couple of other areas have come back as being at a higher risk than in the current plan," Supt Surrey added.

Illawarra's BFMP covers 113,000 hectares across the Wollongong, Shellharbour and Kiama LGAs. The current plan says it "takes into account seasonal population changes with almost one million visitors passing through the Illawarra each year."

The plan documents the region's bushfire history with 14 big bushfires recorded since records began in the 1930s. Six of those fires have occurred since the year 2000 with the last major fire in October 2013. "Those wildfires burnt areas along the escarpment and plateau mainly in the west and northwest areas and also burnt extensive areas below the escarpment," the plan says.

It also lists the areas in the Illawarra most vulnerable to bushfire risk. Communities at greatest (extreme) risk include Helensburgh, Stanwell Tops, Otford, Darkes Forest and Garrawarra. 

The Illawarra BFMP also identifies the highest risk public buildings, parks and lookouts. These include Helensburgh and Otford Public Schools, Symbio Wildlife Park, Garrawarra Hospital, Stanwell Tops Conference Centre, Bulli Tops and lookout, Mt Keira Girl Guides and Scout Camps, Metropolitan Colliery and Sublime Point Lookout . Further south, the Seven Mile Beach Holiday Park is identified as being high bushfire risk.

Supt Surrey said the delay in finalising a new Illawarra bushfire plan "hasn't slowed us down".

"It's pretty much business as usual and we are implementing what needs to be done as identified in the new plan," he added.