Aaron Violi (Casey, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I commend the member for Hawke for his contribution. He commended the member for Mallee and the member for Wannon, which I will do in a minute. Sometimes in this House there are—rightly—political disagreements. We go at each other politically when we need to, but motions like this have bipartisan support. I thank the member for Hawke for his service—I know he is a volunteer firefighter in the CFA. I'm happy to hold him to account politically, but thanks is due to the member for Hawke for his contribution, as well as to the member for Bendigo, the member Mallee and the member for Wannon.

Many communities have been devastated by bushfires over so many years. Unfortunately, it's the Grampians that have gone through this tragic event in the last six weeks. It's not just the Grampians community that have been impacted—they have been impacted directly, but the brilliant thing about Victoria is that we all come together to support each other. On the weekend, I was having a listen in post in Mt Evelyn, and Rick, who is the captain of the Mt Evelyn CFA was walking through. We were having a good chat; he had just got back recently from the Grampians, having been over there as part of the strike team keeping the community in the Grampians safe. On Sunday I was presenting an Australian flag to the team at Coldstream CFA, and many of them, including their captain Sean, had been in the Grampians helping out.

Many brigades in my community have been in the Grampians supporting them, and that is the vital nature of our volunteer spirit. Our volunteer CFA members protect their own communities, but they are prepared to leave their families and their friends and their loved ones to go to another side of the state or into another state to protect another community. They do it for two key reasons. They do it because they know it's a core part of their responsibility to serve—to serve as volunteers—no matter where the need is. But, just as importantly, they do it because they know that if their community is in trouble and their community needs support—like our community needed support 16 years ago on Black Saturday and in the months afterwards—the CFA brigades from the Grampians and from all across Victoria, as well as firefighter volunteers from all across Australia, will come to help. It is that volunteer spirit that we need to continue to celebrate while we rebuild.

It couldn't have come at a worse time for those in the Grampians. It's a key tourist time for those businesses. They've been devastated by many cancelling, so I urge people: if you can, please visit the Grampians to support those businesses. As the Deputy Speaker would know, it's really challenging when you go through that short period of loss, but then there are also ongoing effects. It is never just about the days and weeks of that tragedy; it is about the months and years afterwards—the mental strain and the economic strain—that then put more pressure on businesses.

We know that many are now unable to get insurance, as the member for Bendigo said. This is an ongoing challenge in the Grampians, but, in many communities, including my community, whether it's due to the bushfire risk or the storms that the Dandenongs have had repeatedly in the last four or five years, many businesses and homes cannot get the insurance they need. We need to continue to work in a bipartisan way to find some solutions, because it is not an easy fix; it is a challenging dynamic. We've seen the floods up in Townsville. Many communities are going through disasters. We need to continue to work together to find solutions and to make sure that Australians and businesses can get the insurance that they need. It is something that is, as I said, an ongoing stress.

It's also so hard for many people in our community because it brings back memories of other fires that they've had to go through themselves. Every time there is a fire, it can cause challenges for many people. I would say those people are feeling the stress of the Grampians fires. They are feeling the stress in my community from the memories of Black Saturday. I was at an event on Friday night, talking to some people and reliving the events of Black Saturday, 16 years on. It's not something that leaves us. I want to say to those that are struggling at any time: please seek the help that you need, because you are not alone. There are many to support you, and we need to continue to support those in the Grampians today and in the months and years to follow.

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