Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

Two new Riverina fire stations, a number of much-needed tankers and several deserving awards were handed over on Saturday. This took place as local temperatures hovered in the early 30s, signalling a sizzling summer ahead. Hot days, especially this early in the season, dry out the countryside and make it a potential tinderbox. Our brave men and women of the New South Wales Rural Fire Service put themselves in harm's way whenever fire strikes.

One such volunteer is Tumbarumba's Bob Burgun, who was deservedly recognised when Chief Superintendent Ken Hall, representing Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons, handed him a long service medal and clasp acknowledging 42 years of faithful service. Bob is a mate of mine. In fact, he is a mate of many. His lifelong dedication to his community is legendary. At age 76 he continues to commit many hours helping out, running the town's thoroughbred racing club, serving on the bush fire brigade, being a passionate advocate for farmers.

At Saturday's presentation, when he was one of eight volunteers honoured, Bob spoke of the remarkable progress which has been made in the equipment used to fight fires. Keys were handed over for two new brigade tankers, one for Tumbarumba and the other for Glen Mannus on Saturday. Funded by the New South Wales government, these vehicles are $350,000 each and carry 3½ thousand litres of water—just what is needed when disaster strikes. They are, as Bob pointed out, a far cry from the old pug-nosed Blitz trucks with a 500-gallon tank tied down by wire once they were made ready for use.

In his amusing anecdotes, topped only by his wife Judith, who told Saturday's gathering she said she was glad he spent so many hours volunteering for the fire brigade because it got him out of the house, Bob mentioned the commitment also of stalwarts Tom McClelland and Rex O'Brien. Tom, who has departed this earth, was a good firefighter and Rex, known as 'Bomber', had an intimate knowledge of the high country, having run cattle through the leases in this rugged part of the Australian landscape for many years. Bob was driven to play his part by the service of his father Robert, who for many years prior to his death in 1963 had led Tumbarumba's bushfire brigade. As a schoolboy, Bob helped out his father in the hellish January 1952 blaze which swept through from Mangoplah, south of Wagga Wagga, all the way to Eden on the South Coast, in which Tumbarumba was lucky not to be razed.

Bob told a few yarns about his 28 years as captain, from 1972 to 2000, and laughed about nine ex-Army Studebakers which Tumbarumba shire inherited in the early 1980s and then fitted out and painted up before they realised that his brigade 'got the bloody dud of the lot', as he said. 'It was always broken down—you couldn't guarantee getting back from a fire safely,' he quipped. 'We then got a hand-me-down Leyland from a Sydney brigade but it would've been faster to walk to the fire. Then we acquired an International and we thought we were made but nothing we ever had was a patch on what we have now.'

The stations were opened at Darlow, as well as Batlow, on Saturday. Well done to the New South Wales government for funding these and good luck to the Rural Fire Service for the summer ahead.

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