Sharon Bird (Cunningham, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to support the condolence motion moved by the Deputy Prime Minister in this House and to extend, on behalf of my community, our deepest sympathies to the families and loved ones of the Australians killed in the weekend’s tragic bushfires. I also want to record our deep regret at the human injury, the loss of property and the destruction of communities caused by those fires. I particularly want to praise the work of emergency services—the volunteers and community members who are out there assisting friends, colleagues, neighbours and, as the minister indicated, even strangers in this time of need. I also want to acknowledge the profound impact on those communities affected and the role the government can take with the Australian community in assisting that recovery and rebuilding.

I agonised for a while about whether I would participate in this condolence motion debate. The reason I did was because I just could not imagine what I could put on the record to add to the words of the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, and, most significantly, those members representing Victorian seats whose communities were directly affected by what happened. It was very difficult for me to consider what I would say. I come from a community that is, on occasion, touched by fire, as every community in Australia is. I come from a community that has dealt with its own disasters since the early days of its inception, and, at this moment, I want to acknowledge that the local people in my area have put together a tremendous effort to stand beside their friends, colleagues and countrymen in Victoria.

I think they do that because we come from a place where we have experienced disaster, particularly in the mining industry. In the very early days, we lost 81 men in the Bulli Colliery gas explosion in 1887. We lost 96 men and boys, some as young as 14 and 15, in the Mount Kembla Colliery explosion in 1902. We lost 14 miners at the Appin mine explosion in 1979. The reason I hesitate to speak on motions like this is that I was 17 at the time of the 1979 explosion and living on the Appin mine site—my father was the electrical engineer in charge—when it occurred. The night of the disaster, we were at a school dance and driving home the son of one of the miners killed. I am profoundly aware of how, as a community, you rarely raise your eyes beyond those immediate to you and your concerns for them in the early days of something like that. There is a level of bemusement about what is going on beyond the immediate challenges that you face. But I also know how profoundly important are the messages of support, the physical efforts of your countrymen around Australia in saying that they want to not only offer comfort, but also physical support in the difficult days you face after something like that. The size of this fire disaster is incomprehensible and many in here have expressed their absolute commitment to working through not only these difficult initial days but also the longer term.

So I decided I would speak and that I would speak on behalf of my community, just to report to the people of Victoria the efforts that are going on in Wollongong to provide that support to them. In the days since the original motion, the list has been constantly added to, so I will work through it as quickly as I can. I want to acknowledge that I know we are not unique in this; I know the communities of every member of this parliament are out there doing exactly the same thing. That is what makes us a tremendous nation.

I want to acknowledge i98, one of the local radio stations. Marty and Erica have a bushfire appeal going. They write on their website:

The people of Wollongong have responded INCREDIBLY—as always—we are just blown away.

On Monday Feb 16 at 8 am Marty and myself—

this is Erica speaking—

Matthew Murrell … and John Noble … will leave Wollongong for Victoria, and the central warehouse of the Salvos Stores in Melbourne. We will then be broadcasting live from either Bendigo or Traralgon on Tuesday morning, before making our way back to Wollongong.

They are urging listeners to gather up:

… unwanted or unused clothing, toys, kitchenware, toiletries, linen, furniture, electrical & white goods and other household items—

and they have some businesses that are offering their assistance. Murrells Freight in Port Kembla, MJ Rowles locations around the Illawarra, Wollongong Mini Storage and South Coast Hire are all chipping in to help with that particular concern. All of my local media—the WIN TV reporters, the Illawarra Mercury, ABC radio and both of the commercial radio stations—are advertising to people on how to donate, and I think that is particularly important.

Our other radio station, 96.5 Wave FM, have a bushfire appeal on as well. Their website says:

Greg, Dave and Jade from WAVE FM’s Bigger Breakfast have pledged to stay on air non-stop for 50 HOURS to help raise as much money as possible.

They are asking people to call in during this 50-hour marathon bushfire appeal and make donations. They are also urging people to lodge donations through the Red Cross website. They list some local businesses that are also assisting, and I want to let people know who is participating. The Caltex service stations at Unanderra and Albion Park will donate 1c from every litre of petrol sold during the 50-hour appeal. You can have your car washed at Bonnet to Boot and they will donate all the proceeds to the appeal. Laura Dean Financial Solutions will donate $25 to the appeal for every couple who attends their mortgage seminar. Tony from Gold City Jewellers in Westfield Figtree is donating 10 per cent of the proceeds from every purchase made during the 50-hour appeal. Michael from All Care Computers will donate $10 per job booked during the marathon. Em Gees Hair Design in Oak Flats are donating $1 from every service. Voluptuous Ladies on George Street, Warilla will give 20 per cent of all their sales and 10 per cent for every handbag they sell to the appeal. Network Video in Dapto will be donating all their takings to the appeal. That is a tremendous effort from a wide variety of local businesses.

A lot of churches and community groups are getting on board and doing what they can. The Catholic Bishop of Wollongong, Peter Ingham, is working with Catholic bishops from Melbourne, Ballarat, Bendigo and Sale to see what the dioceses in Wollongong can do to assist down there. I am sure they will appreciate that, because he is a lovely gentleman and a wonderful local person. Of course, he is sending his prayers to those affected by the bushfires and encouraging tax deductible donations through the Catholic Archbishops Charitable Fund Bushfire Appeal or the St Vincent de Paul Society. The Wollongong City Council are encouraging staff to donate and they will match those donations. They are also allowing staff time off to go and give blood—another very sensible, practical initiative to help out. Other councils in my region are doing similar things.

There was a New South Wales Electrical Trades Union biennial conference held in Wollongong this week. They passed the bucket around to delegates and raised $25,000. ETU Secretary, Bernie Riordan, indicated that eight of their members had lost everything in the fires while another two had been hospitalised with serious burns. The membership at that conference were very keen to provide support.

The Figtree Anglican Church is holding a memorial service in remembrance of the victims. The senior minister, Reverend Ian Barnett, said that the service will provide an opportunity for people, regardless of their religious denomination, to reflect and pray. The church is in the process of establishing partnerships with some of the towns and local churches to provide assistance.

David De Santi and Russell Hannah from the Illawarra Folk Club are organising a bush dance and concert for the appeal at which performers are donating their services. The cost of entry, $10 for adults and $5 for children, will go to the appeal. The University of Wollongong staff and students are having a bushfire relief cricket match. They make no guarantees about the quality of the cricket, but they are sure that they will get lots of support from those at the campus coming along and making donations. Congratulations to Toby Kell, Nick Rouen and Clinton Mead for organising that.

BlueScope Steel, one of our big local employers, have announced today that they are donating $1 million in steel products and building solutions to help rebuild communities, which is a tremendous initiative on their behalf. My commendations go to them. BlueScope Steel’s Managing Director and CEO, Paul O’Malley, said that the company was also encouraging its 20,000 employees worldwide to donate to the Red Cross Victorian Bushfire Appeal.

I have been advised that 19 South Coast clubs have to date pledged $60,000 on behalf of members, complementing a Clubs NSW appeal. The Australian Workers Union Port Kembla branch secretary, Andy Gillespie, reports that they have donated $10,000 to the appeal. They are encouraging other unions, companies and employment groups to do likewise. He said, ‘We can’t bring people back, but hopefully we can help rebuild people’s lives.’

Today in the Illawarra Mercury there is a photo representing all those different groups. I also acknowledge the many students passing buckets around at schools today and over the week as well as our very important volunteer organisations like the Salvos and St Vinnies and so forth, who are doing what they can. I hope that we can continue in our efforts to convey our words of support to the people of Victoria and, more importantly, to reflect to them the views of our community, and our love, our concern, our support and our determination to do what we can to assist them in these very difficult times. I commend the condolence motion to the Committee.

See this speech in context