Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Hansard source

Bushfires, as we know, are an unfortunate fact of life in Australia, particularly at the moment in Victoria. While it is important that all Victorians are prepared, older Australians in aged-care facilities are particularly vulnerable at these times. The safety and wellbeing of aged-care recipients is of paramount importance. I am sure we all agree that we want to ensure that older Australians stay safe until danger has passed.

I am pleased to inform the Senate that no aged-care facilities in Victoria are currently under threat, as the fire situation has eased in Victoria, thanks in part to the efforts of firefighters and emergency services personnel, who, as we know, have worked around the clock. However, over recent days, two aged-care facilities in Victoria were evacuated. The first facility, the On Luck Chinese Nursing Home, in Donvale, was evacuated on Saturday. Twenty residents were relocated to be with their families until the threat had passed. All residents have now been returned safely to the facility. In the second facility, Wattle Glen Aged Care, in Wattle Glen, seven residents left the facility early on Sunday to stay with family. All residents have since returned safely, since the danger has passed. I can advise my South Australian colleagues that 12 inpatients and residents of the Laura campus multipurpose service were relocated yesterday due to fire threat near the town of Laura. Those residents and patients have been relocated to Port Pirie and Crystal Brook and will be returned when the threat passes.