Daniel Mulino (Fraser, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to echo the words of so many on all sides of the chamber over the last several weeks. While the fires may not have burnt in Fraser, my community has been touched, as so many others have. We have witnessed with great sadness the loss of life and property of our fellow Australians. I send the thoughts and prayers of my whole community to those who have experienced loss. We have seen the incomprehensible destruction of our natural environment—millions of hectares of bushland and, as earlier speakers have indicated, a billion animals. It's almost too much to comprehend. We have been inspired by the bravery of thousands of volunteers who put their lives at risk and, in too many cases, made the ultimate sacrifice. I specifically acknowledge the CFA, Victoria's other emergency services personnel and the brave firefighters from other states, including the Rural Fire Service in New South Wales.

Like so many communities across the nation, Fraser has rallied in support of those who have experienced loss. An outpouring of generosity has occurred right across my community. At the Lunar New Year festivals, people celebrated the Year of the Rat and then immediately turned their attention to how to help those in other communities. At the Quang Minh temple in Braybrook, funds were raised. At the St Albans new year festival, over $20,000 was raised in one day. Businesses throughout Fraser organised fundraising efforts. A good example was the St Albans Traders Association. Schools throughout Fraser have organised events, raised money and have sent messages of support, and the not-for-profit organisations, of which there are too many to mention, have also done so much.

In addition to making overarching comments indicating the support that my community feels for those who have suffered such great loss in the whole of Australia, I also want to make some personal observations. My father lives in Batemans Bay and I was with him on New Year's Eve and the days that followed. People huddled on beaches as a wall of smoke and fire approached. Neighbours went door to door, making sure that no-one was left isolated and vulnerable. And, as so many speakers have already mentioned, when mobile phones lost coverage, when power was out and people were literally in darkness, the ABC provided people with information, with clarity and with at least some comfort in the midst of all the chaos—a lifeline to the rest of the community. My family was in Eden as thousands of Victorians escaped the fires in Mallacoota and the east of Victoria. We saw the desperation and fear of the many people streaming across the border and also how a town opened itself to welcome them and provide them with refuge. My family was in Ulladulla when the roads to the north were blocked. We benefited from the generosity of being given accommodation and food from a stranger as we waited for the roads to clear. My family will never forget the generous gesture that the family made for us over the days that we spent there.

The eloquent and powerful speeches of the members for Gilmore, Eden-Monaro and Macquarie, amongst many others, including the members for Gippsland and Monash of my own state of Victoria, reflect the experiences of hundreds of thousands of people who had similar experiences to my family. The speech from the member for Gilmore resonated very powerfully given that my family, my father, is her constituent. I saw firsthand that particular community coming together in a powerful show of sacrifice and resilience. Hundreds of thousands of people experienced fires or the threat of fires over a sustained period, week after week over many months, draining people's reserves of energy and optimism. It was the sense of community that helped people persevere and, ultimately, overcome these incredible challenges. To all those who have lost so much, I offer condolences on behalf of my entire community; to all those still experiencing challenging times, our community remains ready to help.

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