Julian Leeser (Berowra, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The northern boundary of my electorate is the Hawkesbury River, and residents have been closely watching the Gospers Mountain fire from there. On Friday I had the opportunity to visit the area and spoke to businesses in Wisemans Ferry, Canoelands and Maroota. These communities, which date back to the earliest days of colonial Australia, represent the Australian spirit in so many ways. Many people have gone out of their way to help each other. One such example is the way that Wisemans Ferry Public School has opened its doors to Macdonald Valley Public School, who have had to temporarily relocate their school due to the fires. I visited a number of businesses including Wisemans Inn Hotel, the Wisemans Ferry medical centre, Wisemans Ferry Grocer, WFR Real Estate Agents, Wisemans Ferry Bowling Club, Fish N Chips In The Stix, the Wisemans Ferry Pharmacy, the Stone House Cafe and Ferry Artists Gallery. All those businesses are facing challenging times, as tourists and locals avoid the area due to the recent fires.

Can I say to the House: these communities are open for business and we should all do our bit to support them. The RFS crews are working around the clock to prevent the fire jumping the river. For now, it's safe to visit, so come on up and support the local businesses on the Hawkesbury. If you're asking yourself whether you should have your usual waterski holiday on the Hawkesbury this year, the answer is yes, absolutely. Wisemans Ferry is open for business, as is Maroota, Lower Portland, Leets Vale, Sackville North and South Maroota. Get yourself down there, get on the river, and support our local communities.