Kirsten Livermore (Capricornia, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Firstly, I would like to thank the Prime Minister for moving this motion of condolence so poignantly and for allowing those of us who represent the worst affected communities to speak on behalf of our constituents and indeed all Australians, because the events of the last months have touched us all. Thank you also to all those who have expressed, and who will express, their sympathy and support in speeches this afternoon, as the entire parliament stops to offer our condolences for those who have lost their lives and to pledge our ongoing support for those who have experienced heartbreak and hardship at the hands of these natural disasters.

This is one of those moments when the parliament is given the chance the live up to the expectations of the people who have sent us here. It is one of those moments when we are united in a common purpose and do our best to reflect as an institution the solidarity, generosity and compassion that we have witnessed in our own communities. I do not know about other members here but I find that challenge deeply humbling. In fact, when I think about the terrible events of the summer just passed and the way that my fellow Australians, our fellow Australians, have either faced them directly or been there to lend support and pick up the pieces, that humility does not seem out of place. We have all been humbled by the tragic reminders of nature’s ferocious power. I know I have been humbled by the displays of courage and selflessness that we all love to think of as part of the Aussie fighting spirit that might be there for us too if ever we need to call on it.

It is our sad duty in this condolence motion to particularly remember those who have lost their lives in this series of disasters that have struck our country. All of those deaths are tragic and all happened in circumstances too distressing for most of us to contemplate. As I speak to this motion I know that the people of my electorate would want me to say on their behalf, as they said to me constantly throughout our flooding emergency, that even in the midst of their own trials they know where the real suffering took place. It continues today in those families and communities in Toowoomba, the Lockyer Valley, Far North Queensland and other places across Australia for whom life will never be the same again. I extend my sympathies and those of my constituents to all those who knew and loved the victims of these terrible events.

I also acknowledge that there are families in my own electorate who are grieving loved ones killed in road accidents during the extreme weather conditions that preceded the flooding of early January. Flooded creeks and torrential rain took a terrible toll on people who were just trying to travel to work or reunite with their family.

The story of the disasters that we have experienced across the country, and especially in Queensland, has taken on an epic quality. The quantities of water, the expanse of the country inundated, the scale of the damage and the cost of recovery are measured in thousands, millions and billions. The pain of losing a family member, the stress of evacuating your house and the overwhelming job of cleaning up and rebuilding, however, are things that are felt and have a deep impact on a very personal and individual level. The people of Rockhampton and the communities surrounding our city have been dealing with all of those emotions and challenges since the rain started falling after Christmas, and we knew that the water that had created havoc and destruction in places like Theodore and Emerald was heading our way.

The Fitzroy River is a magnificent natural asset for our city. With the biggest catchment on the east coast of Australia, the Fitzroy sustains a huge area of Central Queensland before flowing through the heart of Rockhampton. But no-one should ever forget that she floods, and she floods big—over 10 metres in 1918, 9.4 metres in 1954 and 9.3 metres in 1991. Luckily for us, our city had plenty of warning as the deluge made its way towards the coast, and we had the lessons and experiences of previous floods to guide us. That made the management of the situation easier for the authorities. But, unfortunately, that is small comfort for the actual people affected as they packed up their homes, secured their possessions and moved out—not knowing for sure how high the water would go and for how long their lives would be turned upside down.

In the end the river peaked at 9.2 metres. Everyone in Rockhampton can rattle off centimetre by centimetre what that meant for the city as the water rose. The suburbs of Depot Hill and Port Curtis bore the brunt of the flooding but many others, including Allenstown, West Rockhampton, Park Avenue and Kawana, were impacted on as well. Our airport closed for three weeks. The Bruce Highway, the Capricorn Highway and the railway line were closed for a similar period, causing major disruption to supplies of foods, pharmaceuticals and other essentials. People in many towns and rural communities around Rockhampton were cut off from their jobs, from their business and from services like the Rockhampton hospital. There were 3,000 properties in and around the city affected and 200 of those suffered inundation. Five hundred people were forced to evacuate their homes to stay with family and friends or shelter at the evacuation centre at Central Queensland University.

That is the picture of the Rockhampton flood that everyone here would be familiar with from the media coverage—the city cut off and the old Queenslanders of Depot Hill struggling to stay above the brown floodwaters. I had the privilege of being there with the community through that time, and I am proud to say that the real story of the floods is the way that the city rose to the challenge and just got on with what had to be done to keep people safe, to support one another and to get back on our feet.

The thankyous are many—so, so many. Once again, the sheer number of people, organisations and businesses involved should never obscure the fact that it was the personal commitment of each and every individual who gave time, expertise, a donation or just a smile that made the difference. The people of Central Queensland are very grateful for the attention and support they received from all levels of government, including the defence forces, and from people across the country during our time of need. I know that they would be with me in putting aside our local concerns momentarily, not because they have disappeared but because we know others are doing it tougher than us. Our hearts go out as Australians to those who have lost their homes and most especially to those families in mourning, who are walking the hardest road of all.

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