Bert Van Manen (Forde, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It gives me great pleasure to rise in this House today to recognise the fabulous efforts of many, many volunteers in the recent floods. When Mother Nature throws her worst at us, it truly brings out the best in the Australian community. Whether it is cyclones, floods or fires, whenever disaster knocks us down, we can always count on the compassion, resilience and support of many others in our community to pick us back up again. Since the disastrous floods that hit my electorate of Forde at the end of March, every day I have seen the strength of the victims, the compassion of people willing and ready to help, and the bravery of emergency service personnel and volunteers who risk their lives to help those in trouble. I was truly heartbroken when I visited a number of the worst hit areas, particularly in Halls Road at Luscombe and Albert Street in Eagleby, where a number of homes in both of those communities were inundated by the Albert River and one was completely swept away. To see the pieces of what was once a home stuck in the top of a tree kilometres down the road, it is hard to fathom just how high and how quickly the water rose and, now, how these families will recover from such devastation.

What can only be a silver lining to the tragedy is the community support that has helped these families begin that long journey of healing. My office had calls from all over the country from people willing to help out our region and our community, and we are so grateful for that support. I want to give my sincerest thanks to all the amazing volunteers who showed up, ready to clear out flood-damaged homes, remove debris and provide food and water or even just a shoulder to cry on for those who lost so much.

From finding a palliative care bed for a couple of families to buying some hay for stranded horses and doing loads of washing for households whose homes were flooded, I want to thank the many volunteers, both individuals and businesses, who have helped so many. For the families who lost so much, there is still a long road ahead. Please be assured that we will do everything we can to assist where necessary. It is heartening to know that there are so many people out there willing to lend a hand and offer support to others when times are tough. The strength and resilience of people, as well as the kindness and compassion of others, is a true reflection of what Australia is all about.

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