Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

The Sunshine Coast is not synonymous with bushfires, although there have certainly been fires around the Sunshine Coast in the 27 years that I've called it home. But, like in so many parts of this great brown land, this year's bushfires have been very different. There are many reasons for this, including drought, a changing climate, the fact that there are now many more homes being built in bushland areas, high fuel loads through a reduction in hazard burns, and that this year there have been many acts of arson. The fact that some people could deliberately light fires beggars belief. Those people should be prosecuted and dealt with by the courts and they should suffer the maximum penalties available under the law. Just the other day I was following a vehicle whose driver threw his cigarette out the window. You just cannot believe the intelligence of some people!

The fires in my electorate of Fisher, by comparison with many parts of the country, have paled into insignificance. There've been no lives lost and minimal property damage. In the neighbouring seat of Wide Bay—thanks to the courageous efforts of our firefighters—the fires which began in Peregian Springs were quickly contained, resulting in the loss of just one home. As devastating as that would be for the affected family, but for the efforts of our emergency services personnel it could have been far, far worse. At the Kawana fire station, along with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister Littleproud, I was fortunate to meet a number of the fire crews which had battled those blazes—some of whom had worked for 18 hours straight. We thank them for their dedication and their selflessness, particularly the volunteer firefighters who give up so much for so many out of a spirit of generosity and ask for nothing in return.

I do want to give a shout-out to Tony Abbott. I spoke with Tony on several occasions over Christmas, and every time I spoke with him or communicated with him he was working on the fires—on the trucks. It's not lost on me that a few years ago he was pilloried for being on the trucks, and now he's a hero—go figure.

I also want to give a big shout-out to John and Simon McDermott of McDermott Aviation. They run Australia's largest privately owned helicopter company that provides a lot of helicopters to act as water-bombing aircraft. I was in constant contact with both John and Simon over the holidays. They unfortunately lost a helicopter during the fires due to an accident. Fortunately, the pilot walked away. But those are the sorts of hazards that are involved in this line of work.

Like all Australians, my constituents have seen the images and heard the stories of loss and destruction from all over the country. I know that everyone in Fisher would join me in sending our condolences, our thoughts and our prayers to the families of the 33 who have been lost this summer. It's been shattering for all of us to see lives cut short, communities destroyed and our environment laid to waste.

But with those images, we've also seen the best of what it means to be Australian. Alongside our firefighters, we've seen 6,000 ADF reservists and regular personnel called out to help: ordinary men and women who choose to stand ready to defend and protect their fellow Australians at home and overseas. We've seen millions of others donate money or hold fundraisers for firefighters and affected communities, offer their houses and their businesses to accommodate those whose homes have been destroyed or travel to fire affected areas to offer their skills where they're needed most. We should be grateful to each of them and we should remember their example.

Our volunteers and our community spirit achieved incredible things this summer, but there are consequences of destruction on this scale that only the resources of government can alleviate. The terrible impact on the mental health of thousands of people is one such consequence. To evacuate one's home is one such consequence or to leave your community, to see it destroyed, to lose your livelihood—or worse, to suffer the loss of a loved one. These are experiences that would leave the most resilient amongst us in need of support. I was pleased to see the government step in and provide not only more than $70 million so far in disaster recovery payments to support affected Australians but also $76 million for mental health support.

Another consequence has been the destruction of vital community assets like roads and utilities infrastructure. Once again, these are things that only a government can step in on, and that's what we did, with 41 $1 million grants to local councils. The Sunshine Coast Council was one council that received those funds. Already, we're seeing these funds being used around Australia to help get these communities back on their feet.

We must also recognise the tragedy of the broadscale loss of our fauna and flora during these fires. Prior to Christmas, I was very proud to announce the funding of $1 million to the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital, to go to assisting the rehabilitation of our koalas. The Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital is one of the largest providers of emergency care and rehabilitation of our koala population. They've treated more than 800 koalas each and every year, and that was before these bushfires arose. Despite the tragedy of the fires, it was good to see the federal government support the hospital, along with similar financial commitments to the RSPCA and the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. I want to thank the environment minister and the Treasurer, when he held that portfolio, and I was working with him back then to see funds going towards the care of our koalas. Since these fires began, the government has committed a further $50 million to protect affected wildlife and to restore habitats, and I am sure that the zoo's wildlife hospital will be heavily involved in informing and executing this work.

In the 21st century, it has become all too easy for us to feel like we have everything under control. Great tragedies like this 'black summer' shake us out of our complacency. They show us once again how vital it is that we all get to be involved and stand ready to do what we can to support one another in difficult times. Life is both precious and precarious. The people we have lost can never be replaced. But I know that, as a nation, we will pull together and we'll rebuild devastated communities so that they can become stronger than ever. As we do so, we should keep in our hearts the stories of the many who sacrificed so much to keep us safe, and resolve to always do what we can do to help one another in good times and bad.

See this speech in context