Teresa Gambaro (Brisbane, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today to support the motion by the honourable member for Chifley and I thank him very much for his motion. I would also like to add, as I rise to speak to this motion, that this House extends its sympathies to the people of the Philippines who have been affected by Typhoon Haiyan.

President of the Philippines Benigno Aquino has declared a 'State of National Calamity' and the United Nations Relief Coordinator has declared a level 3 emergency, the highest possible level for a natural disaster. There has been extensive and widespread damage. Eight-hundred thousand people have been affected by Supertyphoon Haiyan and tragically thousands of lives have been lost.

One cannot imagine the absolute devastation felt by those who could not escape Haiyan's path of destruction—homes were lost, livelihoods destroyed and so many people today are grieving for the loss of their loved ones. My thoughts and the thoughts of the House are with them all. My thoughts are also with those Australians who have lost family members and loved ones and to those who are terribly concerned about family and friends and who are waiting on information about their welfare. I also want to pass on my support to the many Filipinos who live in the electorate of Brisbane.

Communication in many areas of the Philippines is difficult. The Australian government is working hard to reach out to Australians in those areas affected via email, phone and social media. Flights are available out of Tacloban and Guivan airports and to date 400 people have been evacuated from affected regions. The government is also working with consular partners to facilitate the departure of Australians. Australians have been able to depart affected areas on US aircraft. The Australian government is providing consular assistance to the families of an 86-year-old Australian woman and a 49-year-old Australian man who died during the typhoon. Because communication is so difficult in areas affected by the typhoon it is difficult to ascertain just how many Australians have been affected. Sadly we can expect further cases of grave concern.

The government is also working very hard to support the Philippines to meet critical needs, including food, clean water, health care and logistics support with the $30-million package. Australian officials were amongst the first international personnel to arrive in Tacloban area, including an Australian medical assistance team, officials from our embassy in Manila, DFAT rapid response team members and consular staff.

Current support for the relief effort includes an AUSMAT field hospital, which commenced operations on the 16 November; HMAS Tobruk, which departs Townsville today; two RAAF C130J aircraft; and an Australian Federal Police disaster victim management team. Aid is being targeted to meet the needs of those in the worst affected areas by our most experienced and trusted partners.

I want to also use today's motion to thank the NGOs that are on the ground, including the United Nations, Australian non-government organisations and the Red Cross. At the moment they are assessing the situation and providing essential food and water in these areas. As the member for Chifley said earlier, it is a difficult operation and one that requires incredible support in so many areas.

The Prime Minister has written to President Aquino to pass on his thoughts and prayers to the Filipino government and to offer further disaster support if needed. The Australian government will continue to respond to the immediate requests of the Philippines government to ensure that Australian resources are being used to meet their most urgent priorities.

Again I would like to express my sincerest sympathies to those who have been affected by this national calamity. I will continue to hold those affected in my thoughts and prayers in the coming weeks and months as the people of the Philippines mourn the loss of loved ones and attempt to rebuild homes, hospitals, housing and schools. Australia stands ready to help the government of the Philippines in the months and years ahead. I would also like to thank all those who have provided support.

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