Melissa Parke (Fremantle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to add my condolences to those already offered in this place and to say that the thoughts and best wishes of the people of Fremantle, and indeed the people of Western Australia, are with those who have suffered and continue to suffer the effects of the Victorian bushfires. I commend the Deputy Prime Minister and all the speakers to this motion for their words from the heart in this place in the last two days, as particularly exemplified by the members for Bendigo, McMillan and Mallee. These speeches have been marked by grief, compassion, a love of the people and the land of Victoria and a sense of being in this together. I hope the spirit of bipartisanship in this place can continue beyond the immediate tragedy of the bushfires.

The toll of human loss and injury in the Victorian bushfires is appalling. Some of the stories are awful and some are awe inspiring. To see roads littered with the stripped hulks of cars that could not escape, to hear recorded on television what must have been only a fraction of the firestorm’s infernal roar and to see Marysville rendered into a flattened, ashen moonscape, the likes of which we associate with war: these are details of the disaster that will stay long in the memory. Each day the numbers and the pictures reveal more of the damage and we hear more stories that are hard to absorb for their freight of pain and suffering. But we also see the magnificent courage of those caught up in the bushfires, the bravery of those still battling to contain the fires and the incredible compassion and support that has flowed in response from all over Australia and from across the world.

In his speech to the motion yesterday, the Prime Minister listed the many world leaders, including President Obama and the United Nations Secretary-General, who had contacted him over the past few days with messages of condolence and offers of help. The human story of tragedy and loss is one that all people, wherever they are, can relate to. As we speak, there are people similarly suffering through no fault of their own—from war, natural disasters and extreme poverty—all over the world. They share our pain and we share their pain.

There are some other aspects of this disaster that I wish to acknowledge. The fact is that fire is devastating to all forms of life. Animal suffering and loss of animal life have occurred on a large scale, and the full extent of it will never be known. Wildlife Victoria, Help for Wildlife, the Victorian Farmers Federation and the Department of Primary Industries are receiving reports of significant horse, cattle and sheep deaths as a result of the disaster. The department has mobilised teams to assess the impact on livestock of the fires and it will be working with the Victorian Farmers Federation to arrange emergency fodder. The loss of native fauna throughout the more than 330,000 scorched hectares can only be estimated, but it will have been immense. I know that RSPCA Victoria is also working with authorities to provide emergency care to wildlife, pets and livestock and is offering temporary animal accommodation in its shelters across the state.

In the circumstances that have confronted Victorians over the last week, many have lost beloved pets. In many cases, they were forced to leave them behind. The inability to save pets and livestock will have been one of the very sad, gut-wrenching aspects of the bushfire trauma. On Monday night I saw an interview on the ABC with Mr Stephen Collins, the assistant manager of two resorts in Marysville that no longer exist. Mr Collins had escaped the firestorm, taking with him half an esky of belongings, including socks, a camera and a tub of burn cream. At the end of the interview, he said how much he wanted to get back to Marysville to look for his cat, Stardust. We have also seen the tragic story of two sisters in Kinglake—Penny and Melanie Chambers—who died trying to save their horses.

Another more positive aspect of this crisis is the quiet, caring and efficient work of the volunteers and essential service and health workers who have assisted the affected communities in innumerable ways. As other speakers have done before me, I would also like to mention the contribution of ABC Radio to this emergency. As the disaster unfolded, ABC Radio was often the only source of information and support available to terrified people.

Also deserving of praise is the fast and decisive action of the Victorian and federal governments in mobilising relief efforts. During Hurricane Katrina, the people of New Orleans discovered to their detriment how ill-prepared, disorganised and incompetent governments can make a terrible situation worse. Thankfully that has not been the experience in Australia. It is to be hoped that the royal commission announced by the Victorian Premier will shed some light on the difficult issues surrounding the causes of this tragedy and the effectiveness of responses to it. But, whatever the specific findings with respect to the Black Saturday bushfires, this review will be of enormous assistance in guiding future preparations for and responses to extreme weather events, such as fire, flood and cyclones, which, sadly, are likely to become more frequent occurrences due to accelerating global warming. The Victorian bushfires constitute the most destructive natural event that Australia has confronted. As in so many cases in our history, the worst is bringing out our best.

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