Llew O'Brien (Wide Bay, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is a privilege to rise and speak on this condolence motion by the Prime Minister on the bushfire crisis. The ongoing bushfires have highlighted the dichotomies inherent in life in Australia. We've seen the worst of Mother Nature and the best of humanity. We've seen drought followed by fire followed by flooding rains. The drought still stubbornly persists, with more than 11 million hectares that has burnt, scarring our wide, brown land. Very tragically, 33 people have lost their lives, including nine very heroic firefighters. Three thousand homes were burnt to the ground, and the horrific toll on Australia's precious wildlife is just unfathomable.

Australians are known throughout the world for our reliability, generosity, bravery and compassion, and I gratefully acknowledge how people from around the world have joined with us, putting their lives at risk to help fight fires and assist with the recovery effort. In Wide Bay, homes and properties were lost and damaged, and more than 5,000 people were evacuated from more than 2,500 homes as multiple fire fronts attacked the Peregian-Noosa areas and the hinterland areas over the course of several weeks in September and October.

To the wide range of organisations, including the Peregian Beach Community House, UnitingCare, Tewantin-Noosa Lions Club, Noosa Heads Lions Club, Koala Crusaders, the Noosa State Emergency Service, Queensland Police and the Rural Fire Service, to the fighters, police, volunteers, disaster coordinators, community groups, councils and so many others who helped keep Noosa safe from bushfires, I say a very heartfelt thankyou. Emergency services and volunteers have worked tirelessly to protect lives and properties, and countless volunteers have stepped up to support them with everything from preparing meals to doing their washing, hosting fundraisers and many other kinds of practical gestures. Even our wildlife has not been forgotten, with thousands of hand-knitted and sewn joey pouches, bat wraps and resting blankets being made by craftspeople across the nation.

In Wide Bay we have kick-started the recovery period with an initial and immediate grant of $1 million to the Noosa community to help rebuild vital community infrastructure. We've also given $1 million to the Queensland government to administer a grants program for community organisations in Noosa. Like many of the places worst affected by bushfires, Noosa is an area of outstanding natural beauty, and its local economy relies heavily on the tourism market. I welcome Noosa's inclusion in a $6 million tourism recovery package, which will also be available to the Scenic Rim, Southern Downs and Sunshine Coast councils. Noosa is unique. It is an iconic destination that attracts two million visitors every year and generates more than $1 billion in tourism spending in our region alone. This package will help provide a lifeline to keep visitors coming so that businesses can keep their doors open and locals will continue to have a job to go to.

We also acknowledge that recovery—physical and emotional—cannot happen overnight and these bushfires will inevitably weigh heavily on people's minds for some time to come. Mental health care is absolutely essential to help individuals, families and communities recover in the wake of a crisis, which is why it's so important that the Morrison government has provided $14 million for a community recovery package to support the mental health and resilience of Queensland communities affected by bushfires last year, including Noosa. We know that in the weeks and months—and even years—following natural disasters like these bushfires, people can experience a range of emotions and behaviours that can be intense, confusing and frightening. The funding will allow affected people to receive the necessary support to deal with emotions such as grief, stress, guilt and depression, and provide strategies and assistance as the communities recover.

To the people of Noosa and to everyone everywhere who has been affected by these ferocious bushfires right across Australia, we'll stand shoulder to shoulder with you for as long as it takes.

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