Rob Mitchell (McEwen, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Today I rise in acknowledgement of the 15th anniversary of the Black Saturday bushfires. On this day 15 years ago, Victorians awoke to an extremely hot and windy Saturday. It's a day etched in the collective memory of all of us. We solemnly remember the staggering toll it took on human lives, with 173 lives lost and 414 others left injured on that terrible day. We lost 35 children, and 16 were left orphaned. That's a staggering number which continued to grow in the days, weeks, months and years following. The enormity of the destruction left us grappling with the scale of loss and devastation. The most devastating fire was the Kilmore East fire, which started in the centre of our electorate of McEwen, just a kilometre from my place. These fires fuelled huge winds and embers that sped up to 40 kilometres from the fire front, claiming the lives of 119 people.

The Black Saturday fires burned for over a month, with the final fire extinguished on 14 March 2009. But, even in the face of such adversity, the spirit of community and resilience stood tall. More than 19,000 CFA members were involved in frontline firefighting, incident management and support behind the scenes. Tragically, the CFA lost one of its own during these fires. Arthurs Creek CFA volunteer firefighter Joe Shepherd died in Melbourne's Alfred Hospital on 22 February as a result of severe injuries he received on Black Saturday. His son Danny, at the age of 32, lost his life that day as well. ACT firefighter David Balfour also died in the February firefight. David came to Victoria repaying, in his words, a debt of honour to those who came to the ACT's aid in the fires of 2003. We'll forever recognise and remember the lives of Joe and David for what they did. Our community recognises all the volunteers who supported the firefighting personnel and who were part of the massive recovery, clean-up and rebuilding efforts. That spirit of community—that true Australian mateship and determination to dig in when times are tough—is the spirit that inspires us as a nation.

When we remember the Black Saturday fires, it's important to acknowledge the ongoing effects these disasters have on a community. I want to acknowledge the work being done by the Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action. These are people who survived the fires, know the stakes and acknowledge that we must take effective action to tackle climate change. As our climate changes, we see more and more severe, more frequent and more damaging weather events, which create disasters, including floods and bushfires. These survivors from areas like Christmas Hills and Yarra Glen shared their stories and asked me to remind all in this place that supporting renewable energy and a clean future means supporting a safer future. I was talking about the different stories of the many, many people that I've met and helped since that terrible day. I think we've got to look at and focus on the future. We must think about where we've come from, where we're going and what we can do collectively to minimise the chance of this disaster occurring again.

There have been many fires since Black Saturday, and, fortunately, the lessons we learnt on that day have been used to protect lives and properties ever since, not only here but across the globe. While physical scars can still be seen burnt into the countryside, the hidden scars can be harder to track and therefore are not always acknowledged or understood. The toll on people's mental health can be replayed over and over again. Hot weather, strong winds, the sound of the CFA bell or even sirens in the distance all return us to that time. The experience of Black Saturday lingers in our collective minds as a community and affects our people today. So we must remember that if someone is going through the process of grief, they don't need to hear: 'Move on. These things happen. Put it behind you'. Maybe they need someone to say, 'I'm here for you'. As we acknowledge this sombre anniversary, let us not only remember the pain and the loss but celebrate the strength and the unity that emerged from the ashes; the strength and resilience of people in our communities who stepped out of the ashes of Black Summer and who stood up and helped rebuild positive, vibrant, resilient communities. Today is a tough day. Some days are tougher than others. We will always remember them.

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