Julian Leeser (Berowra, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

On Saturday I had the great privilege of being invited to the 60th anniversary celebrations of the Hornsby unit of the State Emergency Service. I would like to take this opportunity to reflect on what a special organisation the State Emergency Service is and commend all those who have volunteered throughout its history. The SES volunteers are available day in, day out, when it's cold, when it's wet and when it's flooding. When the rest of us are tucked up in bed they are slip-slapping about on our roofs making sure that we are all safe.

The Hornsby unit was formed on 3 April 1953 in a small shed on Hunters Lane. For the last 60 years, 10 generations of volunteers have worked together to grow the organisation, and there are now 136 members, including 14 who have joined in the last 12 months. Over this last year the Hornsby SES unit has been dispatched on 368 jobs, the equivalent of over 4,600 hours of community service. Over its history, the Hornsby SES has provided assistance to many major emergencies, including the Newcastle earthquake, the Thredbo landslide, the Eastern Suburbs hailstorm, the Wollongong flash floods, the Casino floods, the Brisbane storm and, most recently, the Central Coast floods and the Hills hailstorm last year. I commend all the volunteers of the Hornsby SES, particularly Reinoud Beijerink, who has been the local controller since 2016, and Ankur Chaudhary, who was recognised for 15 years of service, with the national medal on Saturday night. The SES is there when people need help most, and the volunteers should know that their service to our community is very much appreciated.

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