Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am extremely happy to rise to support this motion with my co-sponsors Senator Guy Barnett and Senator Bob Brown. I am a proud Tasmanian. People have often told me that they do not believe that much ever happens in Tasmania. It is true that we do enjoy the finer things without the hustle and bustle of the big cities, and we love our slower pace of life. But for the last two weeks the whole nation, and indeed the world, has held its breath since a seismic event in the town of Beaconsfield triggered a rock fall at the Beaconsfield goldmine and trapped three of our men. Since that day, we have been waiting for news and hoping and praying that those men would be returned safely to their families.

Unfortunately, two days after the rock fall we were told the sad news that rescuers had found the body of miner Larry Knight, who we now believe was killed instantly in the rock fall. It was the news that the whole town and all Tasmanians had dreaded. We all clung to the hope that the other two missing men, Brant Webb and Todd Russell, had somehow survived the rock fall. On Sunday, 1 May, while many Tasmanians were relaxing with their families, news bulletins brought the news that Brant and Todd had been located alive. In Beaconsfield, the families of the two men were joined in celebrating by locals and media alike. But there was still one big problem: how to get the men out.

Over the last two weeks, the small town of Beaconsfield has been the scene of a display of heroics as rescuers have put their own lives on the line to rescue the two men, who were not just two trapped miners but their mates. On Tuesday morning we saw what we had almost been too scared to hope for. At 6 am on Tuesday, Brant and Todd were brought to the surface—walking out of the mine as they had hoped to do—to the great relief and excitement of the whole country. While these two men had spent 14 nights with no company but each other’s, the whole country had been there with them in spirit.

Tuesday, as we all know, was a day of enormous contrasts. On the same day as there were celebrations for Brant and Todd’s freedom there was also the sadness of farewelling Larry Knight. I was humbled on Tuesday to have the opportunity to attend Mr Knight’s funeral in Launceston. I was witness to a beautiful tribute and goodbye to a loving husband, father and friend who will be missed dreadfully by everyone who knew him. I never had the opportunity to meet Mr Knight, but I know that his death has been felt deeply by the community and by Tasmania as a whole, and I am glad that I was able to have been part of what was a beautiful service. The fact that Todd Russell also attended the funeral and had the opportunity to say goodbye to his mate was no doubt an important step for him in dealing with the events of the last two weeks.

Every single person who was involved in the rescue effort to save these men must be congratulated. They ranged from the local miners who worked 12-hour shifts using the heaviest drills to get through rock that was five times stronger than concrete, to the explosive experts who used low-impact explosives to clear the rock that was standing between the rescuers and Brant and Todd. We should not overlook the support given to the miners’ families and community by the Beaconsfield churches, particularly Sister Francis McShane and Minister Francis Seen from the Uniting Church.

Thanks must also go to those teams from interstate that lent their help to the rescue operation as well as to all the ambulance crews, dieticians, psychologists and staff at the Launceston General Hospital who looked after the men from the time they were found alive until they discharged themselves from the hospital. Indeed, many of these people are still looking after Brant and Todd’s health now, and they will do so for the foreseeable future as they recover from their ordeal. The strength and determination Brant and Todd have demonstrated, firstly, in surviving the ordeal and, secondly, in walking from the mine and showing such physical strength are astounding—and we can only guess at what exactly they went through down there.

Since the rock fall more than two weeks ago, the people of Beaconsfield and Tasmania have pulled together. They have had to deal with the tragedy of Larry Knight’s death, the attention of the world’s media on their doorstep and the agony of not knowing. What they say about small towns really is true, and the same is also true of Tasmanians. Perhaps it has something to do with the colder climate, but when the going gets tough you know you can count on your friends, your neighbours and even total strangers to help. The Aussie spirit of mateship shone bright over Beaconsfield. We have seen that demonstrated on our televisions and in our newspapers every day since the rock fall on Anzac Day—and that will not stop when the media packs up and leaves when the next big news story comes along. Tasmanians will pull together to ensure that the town of Beaconsfield survives.

A testament to just how much Tasmanians care came on the first Sunday after the accident, even before Brant and Todd had been found alive. I went along to the St Kilda versus Fremantle game at York Park with some AWU members to ask for donations to the AWU Beaconsfield Miners Family Support Fund. The fact that the AWU would be there asking for donations had not been publicised, so no-one had any warning that we were going to be there. But that did not stop people digging deep to support the miners’ families, and in excess of $12,000 was raised on the day from the community alone.

Yesterday, Tasmanian Premier Paul Lennon confirmed the process that will take place to fully investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident. A coronial inquest will be undertaken by Coroner Peter Wilson, while a second investigation will be established by the state government using Tasmania’s workplace health and safety laws, following consultation with the Australian Workers Union and the Minerals Council of Australia. The government has also agreed to an independent investigation, which the Australian Workers Union has been pressing for, to ensure that workers have a voice on the factors which may have contributed to the accident.

Thanks must also go to the Australian Workers Union for the role it played throughout the rescue, and especially to National Secretary Bill Shorten, who was tireless in his work to keep the public informed of developments while also providing support to the families and the community, and to the Australian Workers Union branch secretary, Ian Wakefield, as well as to West Tamar Mayor, Barry Easther. I concur with Senator Barnett’s comments—the leadership that was demonstrated by Barry makes him a role model for the entire country. He did his community and Tasmania very proud. Thanks must also go to the Beaconsfield goldmine manager, Matthew Gill. I sincerely thank all of those involved. I am sure I am joined by all my colleagues here and in the other place in thanking those involved in the rescue to bring about this miracle.