Chris Hayes (Fowler, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Earlier this month the Balkan region in south-east Europe was hit by an unprecedented amount of rain, causing devastating floods and destruction throughout Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and parts of Croatia. Three months worth of rain fell within three days, taking at least 49 lives and destroying much of the infrastructure as well as decimating vital agricultural lands. Several major cities remain flooded and there is a continuous danger posed by landslides in the various mountain regions. More than three million people have been impacted, with hundreds of thousands of people forced to leave their homes and be evacuated to various emergency shelters.

The cost of this natural disaster will be calculated in the months and possibly years ahead, but the damage is expected to exceed more than a billion dollars. Disasters of this magnitude are difficult even for the most developed economies to handle. Australia has had its fair share of natural disasters, including floods and bushfires, and we know how difficult it is for affected communities to recover.

I visited Serbia last year and it was clear to me that the country was still very much in the process of rebuilding after years of struggle and conflict. The region's sad history is now interfering with current recovery efforts, with reports of dislodgement of 120,000 landmines throughout Bosnia left over from the hostilities of the 1990s. In spite of these challenges, it has been great to see a united Serbia and, in fact, a united region coming together in a most astonishing way. Volunteers are working around the clock to secure cities from overflowing rivers. Assistance for those who lost their homes arrived almost immediately from the region and across Europe and the rest of the world. Despite the hard work of the locals and assistance from abroad, there is a long way to go before things are back to normal. Unfortunately, this government's decision to cut $7.6 billion from our foreign aid budget makes it unlikely that Australia will make any contribution to less fortunate nations in times of grave difficulty, as the Balkans are currently experiencing.

Many people of Balkan heritage live in my electorate of Fowler. In fact, my electorate has one of the largest Serbian communities in Australia, and I am aware that many local residents have relatives and loved ones directly affected by this disaster. I have been in contact with local community representatives who are organising relief efforts for the Balkans.

Over the years, my local community has shown a great deal of compassion and generosity in assisting fellow Australians and indeed people around the world who are going through tough times. This time is no different, with many individuals making significant donations, and local churches, clubs and community organisations coming together to raise relief funds. The St George orthodox church in Cabramatta is organising containers of canned food and hygiene products to be shipped to the affected regions.

I will be attending humanitarian concerts and fundraisers at the Serbian Cultural Club in Middleton Grange as well as the Bonnyrigg Sports Club. The Bonnyrigg Sports Club has long been the main meeting place for many of the Serbs across Sydney. The club, under the management of Jason Woods, is taking a lead role in providing relief for the flood victims. Many individuals in my electorate have made a significant effort to raise awareness of the floods and to raise assistance. My community is fortunate to have individuals such as Fairfield councillor Misha Karajcic; state member for Cabramatta Nick Lalich; Dragan Milovanovic, of the Serbian diaspora; and local businesspeople like Stan Jankovic and John Pavasovic, who are making a significant contribution to the relief effort.

My thoughts and prayers are with the people of Serbia, Bosnia and Croatia during these difficult times. I am particularly saddened, as we all are, by the tragic loss of life and we send our condolences to the families left behind.