Rick Wilson (O'Connor, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to offer my condolences to the people of Esperance, on the south coast of WA in my electorate of O'Connor, and also to commend them for the extraordinary resilience they have always shown in difficult times. Last week, the town held a service to acknowledge that 12 months have passed since a devastating bushfire claimed the lives of four people. Many will recall the absolutely horrific television footage captured in the town and its surrounding areas. The communities of Esperance, Salmon Gums, Grass Patch, Merivale and Scaddan became the focal point of the nation. Right across the country, Australians mourned for the displaced families, the embattled farmers and the children who witnessed one of the worst natural disasters in WA's recent history.

Inevitably, however, the country moved on. As the days passed and the fires began to subside, the intense focus on the Esperance region dissipated. But, for the people living in those communities, moving on was a task easier said than done. Rural towns are unique in their extreme sense of camaraderie and solidarity. When lives are lost the pain is felt by all. It would be impossible to walk down the street and find a person who did not have a friend or a relative affected by the fires. Much of the enduring pain and suffering is invisible to the outside world. People see the land heal and the community rebuild; but, under the surface, the scars of tragedy still linger. Esperance Shire President Victoria Brown described this sentiment in a recent newspaper column. She said:

We are a pretty resilient lot so you could be forgiven for thinking that it’s all done and dusted and that apart from those who lost loved ones, friends or family, we’ve moved on. The fact is that recovery doesn’t quite work that way. It hits people differently and there is no such thing as a timeline for when grieving or trauma ends.

The community, led by the shire, have shown remarkable resolve. It would be remiss to say people have moved on; but they have shown unity, compassion and generosity to one another. The road to recovery is not one of solitude, and I commend these people for their strength in the face of adversity.

Since the Esperance fires and another devastating blaze that destroyed the south-west town of Yarloop, there has been plenty of discussion regarding WA's bushfire management strategies. It is incumbent on all of us—politicians, community leaders and the public—to do everything we can to prevent a repeat of the devastation we saw in Esperance. The Commonwealth government acknowledged its responsibilities in limiting the impact of natural disasters when we announced a $15 million bushfire mitigation program in WA with the support of the state government. More than $250,000 of that money will support projects in O'Connor, several of which are in the Esperance district.

But Euan Ferguson's inquiry into bushfire management, which followed the destruction in Yarloop, was a stark warning that we must undertake real reform; we owe it to the communities of Esperance, Yarloop and Northcliffe, another rural town in my electorate that has suffered from the bushfires. One of the most significant changes to the way we fight bushfires in WA will be the establishment of a dedicated rural fire service. The Western Australian Premier, Colin Barnett, has promised that the state government will create a standalone bushfire service for country WA. This was one of the key recommendations of the Ferguson inquiry.

For many years, I have been a member of the Carrolup Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade, a team of local farmers who supply their own equipment and have vast experience in fighting local bushfires large and small. Drawing on local expertise is a critical part of effectively fighting bushfires. I can attest to the knowledge these brigades have of the land and weather patterns in their areas. In September, I arranged a meeting between Premier Colin Barnett; John Iffla and Merv Austic, from the Emergency Services Volunteer Association; and my great friend Tom Brown, who coordinated the bushfire effort in Esperance last year.

When the government announced it would adopt all of the Ferguson inquiry's recommendations, it also acknowledged a rural fire service required a regionally based management structure. I believe this approach will be a positive reform in Western Australia and help reaffirm the importance of local expertise in emergency situations. When we consider the plight of communities like Esperance, the importance of the job at hand in Western Australia cannot be overstated.