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

It's my pleasure to rise today to again commend, thank and acknowledge the fantastic people who reside in my electorate of Forde. I said last week and I reiterate again how valuable it is when we get to spend time back among our communities when parliament is in recess. It is there that we can do our greatest work in listening to and learning more about the needs of those who have elected us to this parliament. I have been reminded yet again about the strong sense of family that permeates my community. This is evident throughout the electorate of Forde in our homes, in our schools and on our sporting fields. It motivates everything we do, not just for our own loved ones but for others in need.

For me, this was particularly evident recently at the opening of our Jimbelunga Nursing Home. The Minister for Aged Care and Minister for Indigenous Health, the Hon. Ken Wyatt, joined me at the centre, which has undergone recent upgrades to significantly improve the care it can offer our elderly residents, particularly those with an Indigenous heritage. Of course, a building alone can't do much. It is the Jimbelunga staff, who are truly dedicated to the work they do, who work hard to enact the centre's vision of providing best practice and culturally appropriate, quality care. I commend them today for their continued hard work in our community and the valuable support they provide to our families. Words really can't express how valued these efforts are to me and many others.

I have also been reminded about the resilience of my community. Many homes in my region are still feeling the effects of the intense and sudden flooding caused by ex-Tropical Cyclone Debbie at the end of March and early April this year. I've had the opportunity over the past few weeks to revisit some of the families affected. Some lost everything. Others sustained significant damage. One such family live in Halls Road in Buccan. The first floor of their house was completely washed away, but much of their property survived because they'd planted a lot of trees across their front yard, which broke the impact of the raging torrent. But it was their attitude that struck me most, and it's echoed throughout the electorate. It continues to amaze me that this family and so many others like them continue to diligently rebuild their lives while persistently jumping through each and every hoop that their insurance companies place in front of them. I want to express my ongoing support for each of these families, who are out there still looking to rebuild their lives, not only physically but mentally as well. You are not forgotten by me or by this government.

It remains clear that, when disaster strikes, Queenslanders will continue to rise above it. But I want to make a point here, Mr Deputy Speaker—and I met with the family again over the weekend—about the insurance companies. A word of caution to the insurance companies: if you do not work with these families and solve these problems, I am more than happy to name and shame you in this House.

I also wish to highlight the continued and tireless work of the community groups and organisations in my electorate: our Rotary and Quota service clubs, our Lions clubs and RSLs, the various branches of the Queensland Country Women's Association, each of our dedicated sporting clubs—there are so many, many more. It was a pleasure to catch up with so many of you in recent weeks and see the incredible progress you continue to make each and every week in your common goal to make our community the best place to live. I thank all of you for your ongoing commitment to our communities and our families, and I thank you for continuing to be such a valuable part of the community we all live in. The role that you play makes it so much easier for me to do the job that I do and to seek to partner with you to make our community a better place. It remains my privilege to represent the incredible community of Forde here in this House.

See this speech in context