Susan Templeman (Macquarie, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Anyone in the chamber who lives in a bushfire area knows that it is that time of year: the Rural Fire Service AGM season. There are more than 40 individual brigades in the Blue Mountains and the Hawkesbury, in my electorate of Macquarie, as well as the district offices and catering units. The most pleasing thing to hear at the AGMs I have been able to attend was how uneventful the last fire season was, but clearly none of the brigades has been idle. It has been a chance to do training, extending the skills of existing members and bringing online new members like Pete Henderson and Alex O'Connor, at Winmalee brigade just this last weekend. For Valley Heights, there was more than 3,000 hours of volunteer time to the community under retiring president Lachlan Joyner—we try not to talk about losing a vehicle to flood, but it will find its way into the affectionate history of the RFS in the mountains. For Wentworth Falls brigade, among others, the fact that there were more volunteers than positions shows the level of commitment to the brigade. Peter Belshaw is to be congratulated on taking home the crown for attracting the most publicity—and here is your first mention for next year's award! At Blaxland, the stirrers paddle found another home, and the brigade showed off their first fire tanker, the 1943 ex-RAAF Blitz, which is in the process of being lovingly restored. The Queen's Birthday honours recently also recognised a long time Hawkesbury RFS member, Group Captain Craig Burley, with an Australian Fire Service Medal. It is a great achievement for his years of work.