Michelle Rowland (Greenway, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Over the past month and a half, we have watched in shock the devastation caused by natural disasters in all parts of the country. We have watched the people of Queensland, regional New South Wales and regional Victoria wade through waist-high water. We have seen communities in Western Australia ravaged by shattering bushfires which have destroyed 72 homes and damaged countless others. And we have witnessed Far North Queensland face Cyclone Yasi—the worst tropical cyclone to hit Australia in nearly 100 years. As the Prime Minister has said, it has been a summer of extremes, a summer of tragedy, a summer of devastation.

Over the past day, I have been touched by the words of my parliamentary colleagues from both sides of the chamber. I pay tribute to my colleagues who have risen to support their constituents in a way they surely could never have wished for nor imagined. Listening to the experiences of those members whose electorates have been directly affected has been nothing but heart-wrenching. Their personal experiences, and those experiences of others that they have recounted, remind each and every one of us of the human face of these disasters.

I do not have the words to describe the sympathy I feel for those families who have lost so much as a result of these tragedies. In some cases, they have lost everything. I know that nothing I say will bring back what has been lost. Nothing I can say will alleviate the pain currently experienced by those who have lost their loved ones—their sons and daughters, their husbands and wives, their brothers and sisters. Nothing I say will bring back the missing possessions, repair the damaged homes or rebuild the roads, businesses and schools that have been destroyed as a result of the floods, the bushfires and Cyclone Yasi.

But I can say this: Australians will rally together as we always do in times of great difficulty and, driven by our unique spirit of determination, we will rebuild from these disasters. I do know that through our collective efforts we will help get lives back on track and we will rebuild the towns that have been ravaged. The fighting Australian spirit will once again be on display. Indeed, this fighting spirit has been on display over the summer. It is clearly exemplified through the actions of those emergency services personnel who have been working tirelessly to ensure that fundamental services are returned to the people who have been affected by these disasters. Other organisations, such as the Red Cross, have been critical in the recovery process for disaster-stricken suburbs and towns across Australia.

I can only imagine the fear and anxiety felt by those directly affected by these natural disasters. I could only hope and pray that my family and friends in Queensland would be some of the ‘lucky ones’ who managed to avoid harm. I know that many families were in a similar position as the events unfolded and a nation sat glued to its TV sets, hoping that the waters and storms would ease, and tuning in that fateful morning to see the city of Brisbane submerged.

A parliamentary colleague of mine, not from this place, was in Queensland during the flood crisis and witnessed the loss of a very close lifelong friend who was swept away by the devastating flood waters. There are too many similar stories, and many have been recounted in this debate. Tragically, for so many, what should have been a time of celebration and family became a time of despair, loss and suffering.

Australians always band together and help out someone else in need. This compassion has been evident across my electorate of Greenway where many community groups have rallied together in support of fundraising for the worst affected communities. Our fledgling AFL club, the Greater Western Sydney Giants, offered support to those affected by the Queensland floods. Israel Folau and four other team mates took it upon themselves to seek leave from training and travel to Brisbane to help in whatever way possible with the clean-up. The GWS team is currently in the middle of preseason training and for a marque player of AFL in Western Sydney to put his training on hold to support families doing it tough is a credit to him and the management of GWS. I pay tribute to Kevin Sheedie and his boys.

The Riverstone Girl Guides, who currently do not even have a clubhouse due to a collapsing roof, put aside their personal fundraising endeavours and chose instead to raise funds for families affected by the Queensland disaster. For me, this is a true example of Australian compassion. These young girls not only understand the severity and hardship currently being experienced in Queensland but also displayed the maturity and selflessness to put aside their own needs and help others. This is nothing short of amazing. Two weekends ago I joined the Riverstone Girl Guides selling their famous cookies and holding a fundraising barbecue at the Riverstone Market Town. In the space of three hours we raised over $300 in sales and donations. I commend the Riverstone Girl Guides for their efforts and I thank the good people of Riverstone for their support.

I also thank the members of the Filipino-Australian Community Association of New South Wales. This association has given tirelessly to ensure that the necessary funds are sent to Queensland. At a fundraising event held last Sunday in Blacktown, the Filipino Australian community raised well over $14,000 from just one event. I would like to thank the members of this community for their compassion and generosity—a community which itself has endured much devastation in their homeland in recent years due to a series of typhoons.

There were many other fundraising efforts instigated by the good people of Greenway. These include Simon Holt of Kellyville Ridge, who launched the Great Aussie Wine-athon, and the Blacktown Workers Club, which will be holding a fundraising event on 19 February and a series of auctions.

In the words of the Queensland Premier, Anna Bligh, who has displayed an unending level of resilience and tenacity:

As we weep for what we have lost, and as we grieve for family and friends and we confront the challenge that is before us, I want us to remember who we are.

On behalf of the citizens I represent in my electorate of Greenway, I offer my heartfelt condolences to the families of those who have lost their loved ones. I also offer my deep sympathy to those whose lives have been devastated by the floods, the bushfires and Cyclone Yasi. We in Greenway are a compassionate and caring community. Despite our geographic distance, I say to the victims of these tragedies, ‘We were with you. Our thoughts and prayers go out to each and every one of you.’

See this speech in context